An Extraordinary Love
by Becca487
Summary: Temperance Brennan comes back from Maluku with a change of heart, finally ready to give a relationship with her partner a chance...But, her partner, Seeley Booth, comes back from the desert with his own change of heart...and a new girlfriend. As both try to find stability in their new reality, the partners struggle with the feelings they are trying so desperately to suppress.
1. Chapter 1: The Homecoming

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

CHAPTER 1:

As Temperance Brennan groggily opened her eyes, her first thoughts were of the stack of case files on her desk at the Jeffersonian from the past year waiting for her review and the boxes of bones that she brought back with her from the Muluku Island project that needed to be studied and identified. Ever since she had gotten back a month prior, Brennan had been overwhelmed by the work she needed to catch up on and inundated with phone calls from her editor wanting to set a deadline for her next book and e-mails from academics all with questions about her latest expedition. Yes, Temperance Brennan was busy, much too busy to return to field work with the FBI at the moment. Yes, much too busy.

Besides, it wasn't like the FBI, or more specifically, it wasn't like Special Agent Seeley Booth, was knocking down her door requesting her assistance anyways. In fact, she hadn't heard much of anything from Booth since their return. She tried to rationalize their lack of communication by telling herself that he would of course be busy spending time with Parker, trying to make up for the time they had lost together, (even though, if Booth had asked her, she would have told him that it was physically impossible to make up for any time that had been lost). Of course returning to work and getting re-certified would be overwhelming and stressful and take up much of his free time also. She tried to convince herself that these were the main reasons why she and Booth had not yet re-connected since their return but she was too intelligent to believe her own argument.

There was something, or rather someone, else that was taking up his time also. Hannah had returned to DC with Booth and was evidently his new girlfriend. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, Brennan knew that most of his time when he wasn't at work or with Parker, the same time that, a year ago, he would have spent with her, he now spent with Hannah.

As much as she wished it didn't bother her, she knew that it in fact did. The fact that the man she had considered her best friend a year ago, hadn't so much as picked his phone up to see how she was doing since her return, did indeed bother her...a lot. Before leaving for Maluku, they hadn't gone more than a day without at least speaking with each other on the phone and now they rarely spoke outside of a professional capacity, which considering they had yet to have a case, meant that they had only spoken briefly on the phone about his re-certification date for field work.

She sighed, irritated with herself knowing that he had not been the only one that hadn't picked up their phone. Why didn't she just phone him? Why was it so hard to do something that she would have done without thinking a year ago? She stared up at her ceiling distraught. How had they gotten to this point in their relationship? She sighed again and closed her eyes trying unsuccessfully to block out the memory. She knew exactly how they had gotten to this point. _.._

 _It hadn't been the homecoming she desired._

 _When she had left DC she hadn't felt the immediate relief that she had been expecting. Everything had been so confusing and overwhelming before she had left. She had irrationally spent her days and nights thinking of her partner in less than a partner way and was constantly being distracted by her concern for his safety during cases. She thought that what she needed to clear her head was both time and space...away from the cause of her foray into the world of irrationality._

 _However when she arrived in Maluku, her thoughts were not consumed by bones and archaeological discoveries, as they normally were when she was on one of her trips. Surprisingly, at least to Brennan, she found her mind instead, wandering to one Seeley Booth, her partner, her friend, her best friend who was across the world in a desert war zone risking his life because he believed it was his responsibility to defend the country and its people that meant so much to him._

 _She couldn't stop her 'irrational' thoughts about her partner. In fact they had become even more all-consuming now that she was so far away from him. She couldn't stop wondering if he was safe. She wondered if those he was working with appreciated his abilities and if they even realized how lucky they were to be spending time with him and learning from him. More often then she would have liked to admit, she thought of his laugh, his smile, the 'guy hugs' they shared, the late night drinks or Thai food._

 _And no matter how much she tried, she couldn't deny that she also repeatedly thought about the way his lips had felt against hers that night after meeting with Sweets. They had been soft, but at the same time demanding and almost desperate, as if his life depended on that kiss…and she had pushed him away. As much as she would have liked to deny it, she also thought about feeling those lips against hers once more._

 _While away, she began to believe that she had made several mistakes in the months leading up to their separation, not the least of which was how she had handled Booth's relationship proposition. She always felt so lost and inadequate when faced with having to deal with and talk about feelings especially her own. Although Booth had helped her a great deal in the last 6 years to breakdown some of the walls that prevented her from not only talking about but also showing how she was feeling, the conversation between the pair that night outside of the Hoover Building was proof enough for her that she still had a long way to go._

 _That night she had panicked the moment she had seen that look in his eye. It was a look that she had been seeing with more frequency leading up to that night and as he told her that he was 'the gambler' she suddenly knew what meaning the look was conveying. Then the fear took over and she turned away from the one thing she never thought she would ever find: a man that loved her, a man that she trusted completely, a man offering her the thing he held most dear, his heart...and she had refused it and him...and she had fled...half way across the world._

 _She had told him that she couldn't change and that she didn't have his kind of open heart but what the year apart had taught her was that there was a difference between change and evolution. She remembered Booth once telling her that he was no longer the same person he was in high school because he had evolved. She had even joked with him that she was helping him evolve, a theory that he had never even tried to contradict. The more she thought about that conversation, the more she could not refute the theory herself. And if she had been helping in his evolution process, had he not helped her in her own? She even had to admit that the person she was now was not the same person who had met Booth over 6 years ago. She had changed, not because Booth or anyone else had demanded it, but because new experiences made evolution inevitable. She had started seeing the universe differently mostly because of her exposure to Booth and his way of looking at things. They had both had this impact on each other. So perhaps, change was not necessary at all. Perhaps, Booth was not asking her to change who or what she was but rather believed that she was enough, exactly how she was._

 _After processing what had actually happened outside the Hoover that night and making important self-discoveries, the time away went by slowly. The perspective she had desired when she left, came but it revealed to her something completely different than what she had expected. She missed Booth with everything in her. She needed to talk to him about everything including her reaction to his relationship proposition. It was not a conversation she wanted to have over the phone and so she avoided phoning him and avoided his phone calls to her because she didn't trust herself to hear his voice and not reveal everything she was thinking to him within the first few minutes of conversing. At least his attempted phone calls to her meant that he was still alive. That was all she needed...for now._

 _She longed to talk to Booth about his time away to find out if he had been thinking about her the same way she had been thinking about him. She wanted to revisit the infamous conversation and finally verbalize what she had come to realize. She was nervous about broaching the subject with Booth but as she sat in the plane on her way back to DC she realized that her excitement outweighed her nervousness._

 _At the coffee cart, her heart had stopped (even though she knew it was not actually possible) when she saw him walking towards. They had both come from the airport. He was still in his fatigues and looked tired but the smile that she had missed was perfectly in place and he seemed to be all in one piece and that's more than she could have asked for. She couldn't hold back any longer. She ran to him and he enveloped her in his strong arms. No words were spoken as they both clung to each other minute after minute. As they pulled slightly apart, Brennan let her hands rest on his shoulders while Booth let his hands slip to her hips. They stared at one another smiling. The warmth and amusement she saw in his eyes only reinforced for her how she was feeling._

 _"Hey Bones." He almost whispered. In an attempt to hide the tears that were threatening she pulled him in for another hug and whispered back "Hi". She was in his arms and although she knew there was so much to say after being apart for a year she knew that this was where she wanted to be, in his arms as his partner in every sense of the word. She was still nervous about telling him what she wanted from him but the fear of the feelings she had for this man and the feelings he had said he had for her a year ago were gone. He had told her that he had known from the beginning that they were meant to be together and although she still did not believe in fate she was prepared to admit that a future shared with Seeley Booth as a romantic partner and not just a professional one, seemed quite appealing to her and no longer terrifying especially after having experienced the alternative over the past year. She trusted him and he told her that love could last and was worth fighting for. Standing in his arms she no longer had any doubts that she, Temperance Brennan didn't just believe in love, she was in love with her partner. Of course there was so much that needed to be said between the two of them but for the first time she believed that they could make it work. That together they could work through each of their fears._

 _He pulled away from her and as she was opening her mouth to tell him how much she had missed him he turned revealing a tall beautiful curly haired blonde standing just off to the side. He let go of Brennan and grabbed the blonde's hand pulling her next to him._

 _"Bones, I want you to meet Hannah Burley." As he said this he wrapped his arm around Hannah's waist._

 _Brennan stared wide eyed, first at Booth, then Hannah, then back to Booth._

 _"I finally get to meet Seeley's famous 'Bones'! I'm so glad to finally put a face to the name." Hannah extended her hand and Brennan took it still shocked._

 _"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Brennan finally spoke while taking her hand to shake it._

 _"Hannah Burley"_

 _"Booth never told me about you."_

 _Booth looked between the two women a bit sheepishly. "Well, our communication over the past year was a little limited there Bones. I never got the chance...Listen, why don't we all go and grab a bite to eat...we'll get caught up! Hannah and I can tell you all about our time in Afghanistan and you can fill us in on your ground breaking discoveries over the last year."_

 _"Did you two serve together?" Brennan knew she wasn't good at reading people and so she was hoping that she wasn't right about the current relationship status between these two. She had to be wrong because a year ago Booth had practically declared his love to her and told her that he would love her for 30, 40, 50 years into the future._

 _"She's a reporter that was entrenched in my unit for the last 8 months. She kept me sane over there. The only real thing I had." Booth leaned in and kissed Hannah gently on the lips._

 _Brennan was now sure she knew how Booth had felt the night outside of the Hoover Building the night of their talk, because she felt like her world had just crashed down around her. The hope and excitement that she had felt when she had seen him was replaced with an utterly gut-wrenching sadness and disappointment. Her confidence and anticipation had vanished. She wanted to burst into tears. She needed time and space to process this new development and rationalize it. She couldn't look away from the sight of Booth gently stroking Hannah's cheek and staring into her eyes. She quickly steeled her expression before either of them noticed how upset she was._

 _Looking back towards her, Booth said with a smile, "So how 'bout it Bones? Do you want to head over to the diner and grab some pie? Man, I have been dreaming about pie every night since I left! Wait till you try it Hannah. It's incredible."_

 _He had missed pie. That's what he had missed most. She had missed him and had dreamed about him and he had missed and dreamed about pie. No, she most certainly did not want to go to the diner. Booth and Hannah were both looking at her expectantly and she noticed that Booth's hand disappeared behind Hannah, resting on what she could only assume was her lower back. No, she DEFINTELY did not want to go to the diner._

 _"I'm tired. I've had a long day and I told Angela I would meet up with her as soon as I was done with our scheduled meeting." Brennan responded tightly and hoped she could hold her tears back until she was out of their sight._

 _"Oh, come on Bones I'm sure Angela wouldn't mind if you met up a little later. Come on it's been a whole year." Booth softly punched her shoulder and gave her his best charm smile. Normally this whole routine would have worked. But not today. Not after she had been seconds away from declaring something so intimate to him. She suddenly found herself annoyed with the entire situation._

 _"No Booth. You're not the only person I've been away from for a year." But he was the only one that she had thought of every second of every day and he was the only one she had longed to see upon her return, but he didn't have to know that. She could not be around him and she definitely could not be around Hannah right now. Booth looked hurt and Hannah looked confused by this unspoken dialogue between the two of them. Brennan needed to get away, now, to process everything and get herself re-compartmentalized._

 _Booth looked down at his feet still clad in his army issued boots then looked up to Brennan with a defeated look in his eye. "Alright Bones. Give me a call tomorrow. Maybe we can meet up then"_

 _"I'm sure I'll be streamed at the Jeffersonian for the next little while."_

 _"Swamped, Bones. I think you mean you'll be swamped at work" he corrected her gently with a sad smile gracing his lips._

 _Brennan stiffened further and continued, "yes, well, I'll call you when things settle down." Brennan extended her hand to Hannah "Hannah, it was a pleasure to meet you." She hoped that he wouldn't notice the sadness and hurt in her eyes when she turned to him and simply said, "Bye Booth. I'm glad you've returned unharmed." And with that, Brennan turned around and headed towards her car._

 _"Yeah, you too...Wait, Bones!" he called after her._

 _She turned quickly around but kept walking backwards away from him. "Enjoy your pie, Booth. I hope it's just as you remember it..." she said sadly and then turned back around leaving the new couple standing by the coffee cart._

 _"Me too." Booth mumbled without enthusiasm._

 _She got back into her car pulled out of the parking lot and drove home for the first time in a year._

 _The sense of familiarity that washed over her as she walked in to her apartment wasn't even comforting enough to make her feel better. She needed a shower. As she dropped her luggage off by the edge of the couch she noticed a beautiful bouquet of lilies mixed with daisies sitting on her kitchen table...She almost didn't have the heart to open the card._

 _"Welcome home Bones! Booth"_

 _"Welcome home indeed." She muttered as she silently cursed Angela for undoubtedly helping Booth smuggle flowers into her apartment. Normally, she would have appreciated Booth's thoughtful gesture, however, after having just had both such an over and underwhelming reunion with him, the flowers and the gesture seemed to add pepper to the wound...or was it salt?...whichever it was it made her heart sting even more._

 _She walked to the master bathroom. She peeled off her clothes and got under the hot steam. What had happened?! She had believed that her reunion with Booth would have played out very differently. She had not counted on Hannah. He had come back involved with another woman. She hadn't counted on that. What did it all mean? She had been sure that the conversation they had had outside of the Hoover indicated that he had been in love with her, could she be wrong? She had to have been. Booth believed that true love was everlasting, so if what he had felt for her had been true love he would not have been kissing another woman only a year later. How could she have completely misread the meaning behind his words? The meaning she had extrapolated from their conversation had fuelled her thoughts and actions for the last year and a half. How could she have misread him that badly?_

 _She replayed the conversation. What had he actually said? He had said he wanted to take a gamble, a chance on them. She repeated what he had said out loud and then it hit her. Brennan closed her eyes and before she even knew what was happening the tears started to fall and sob after sob escaped her chest. How had she not realized it before? If he had been sure, if he had known for sure that he was in love with her he wouldn't have had to 'gamble' on anything. The fun in gambling, as Booth had once explained it to her, was that you never knew how it would turn out and so gamblers enjoyed the rush of endorphins that came with the uncertainty. She had simply assumed that he loved her but he had never actually said the words. If he had been sure he would have said 'I love you and I want to be with you.' not 'I'm the gambler. I want to give this a shot.' She was a scientist, she should have known better than to assume anything without considering the facts. She felt like a fool._

 _After several minutes of crying which, rationally she knew was not helping the situation, she shook her head and wiped at the tears that were now mingling with the spray from the shower head as she steeled her expression. She was back. Yes indeed, Temperance Brennan was back and it was time to recognize her faulty reasoning and to rebuild some walls making sure that Seeley Booth stayed on the other side of them this time._

According to the bedside clock it was 7:04 am and Brennan was in desperate need of her morning cup of coffee. She pushed herself out of bed and pushed the memories of that night out of her mind. Most of the time she felt like her emotional walls were firmly back in place and that she had re-compartmentalized her feelings for Booth, but on quiet mornings like these she questioned how sound the structure of those walls actually was. She sighed, something she had been doing a lot of lately, and told herself that things were different now between her and Booth. She merely had to readjust. She had once read that it takes three days to get used to new realities...well it had been over a month since she had returned to this new reality in which she was no longer the most important woman in her partner's life and she knew that whoever had written the three day theory had never personally tested it.


	2. Chapter 2: Ranger Time

CHAPTER 2: Ranger Time

Special Agent Seeley Booth had been back from the dessert for a month and could not get off Ranger time. At least that's how he had explained to himself his lack of sleep since his return.

His restless nights were getting to him not only because he was becoming increasingly short with those around him but because it was preventing him from focusing all of his attention on Hannah and their relationship.

Since they had arrived in DC, his restless nights had prevented the couple from spending nights together on a regular basis. Booth had insisted, despite Hannah's reassurances to the contrary, that she would be more comfortable sleeping in the hotel room that the Post was paying for as part of her contract. Booth knew that Hannah needed her sleep now more than ever considering she had just started a new contract job at the Washington Post. She needed to be on the top of her game if she wanted the contract to turn into something permanent. Hannah had accepted his reasoning begrudgingly.

So, needless to say, their nights spent together were few and far between since they had returned to the States. Most of their nights ended early with him dropping her off at her hotel and with her declaration of love being answered by Booth with a soft and tender kiss before he made his exit with a promise to see her the next day.

Hannah had started to believe that Booth's change in mood and sleeping issues came from some sort of post traumatic stress disorder from his time spent in the desert. She had started to worry and a week ago she had finally suggested that he talk to the FBI psychologist that he sometimes mentioned. Booth was tired of trying to make up excuses for his sleeping issues and so, promised, without any intention of following through with it, that he would indeed talk to Lance Sweets the first chance he got. Truthfully, the last thing he wanted was to broach the subject with the 12 year-old shrink because he knew that somehow the little twerp would twist whatever he said and tie his lack of sleep and his bad mood back to Bones.

 _...Bones..._

He shook his head...Why did his thoughts always come back to Temperance Brennan? God, he was exhausted. He had wasted 6 years trying to understand not only his partner but his feelings for her and he was just so tired of it. He was physically and emotionally exhausted because of it. The worst part was that it was clear that he was the only one who cared enough to get exhausted over it.

Bones had left him and gone to Maluku. She had gone a year without phoning him or answering any of his calls. She had sent 3 e-mails...That's it...in one year. One to wish him a happy birthday, one to wish him a merry Christmas and one to tell him that she might be late meeting him at the coffee cart upon her return because the flight had changed. Each e-mail had been at most 2 lines long and had never once made reference to any of the e-mails he had sent her. Booth had been so angry at Brennan. But then he had realized that he had no right to be. She had made it clear that she wasn't interested in him romantically that night outside of the Hoover.

If he had any further doubts, she had made it abundantly clear again the day of their reunion over a month ago. In fact, if her reaction to his return was any indication, Bones no longer had a place for him in her life at all, not even as a friend. Yes, that day and her lack of excitement at the prospect of spending time with him after being away for a year left him reeling.

The hurt that came from her romantic rejection didn't even compare to the hurt of knowing how little even their friendship meant to her. Over the last month, her lack of interest in his life had him doubting whether she still even wanted to be work partners.

Yes, he was exhausted. It was this exhaustion that had led him to Hannah in the first place. He had needed to move on and close the Bones chapter of his life before it emotionally stifled him. Hannah had offered him the distraction he had needed to shift his focus away from Brennan and on to something more positive.

Before returning from Afghanistan, Booth had believed that his focus had permanently shifted to Hannah and the relationship they were building. He had actually been excited about this shift in focus. But now that he was back in DC, despite Brennan not being present in his life the past month, Booth had found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything at all.

No, he had not wanted to talk to Sweets. He had resolved not to. But that resolve didn't fix his sleeping issues. His mood worsened over the next week and his relationship with Hannah seemed to be stagnating. He owed it to Hannah and to himself to figure out what was going on. So, begrudgingly, he found himself in front of Sweets' office door dreading the discussion that he was about to initiate.

He knocked on the 'little twerp's' door at 9 am and then quickly opened the door before Sweets even had a chance to acknowledge the knock. "Hey Sweets." Booth said as he flopped down on the small couch he had spent so many hours on over the last 5 years.

Sweets looked up from his computer screen and let out a sigh and said "You know Agent Booth, normally the socially accepted behaviour is to wait to be invited into an office after you knock."

Ignoring Sweet's last comment, Booth spit out "I can't sleep."

Sweets sighed. "Ok, well perhaps we can book an appointment next week…"

"Sweets…please."

At that Sweets stood up and made his way to his therapy seat and looked closely at the man sitting before him. Sweets hadn't seen Booth much since he had been back. There hadn't been an opportunity to talk to him either professionally or socially. In fact he had a hunch that Booth had been avoiding him and he was wondering if it had anything to do with the Bones/Hannah issue.

He had heard about Booth's unusual bad moods from his co-workers and had noticed how tired Booth had looked when he chatted with him in the elevators. With his friend now directly in front of him, Sweets realized just how much of a shell of his former self Booth actually was. Booth looked exhausted, his eyes had none of the intensity they had before. He didn't look like the same man he was when he left a year ago and Sweets was suddenly very concerned.

"What's going on Booth? How can I help?"

Booth took a deep breath and said, "I told you, I can't sleep."

"Ok. What do you want me to do about it?"

"I haven't slept at all since I've been back. Like no sleep! And I'm going a little bit crazy here." Booth threw his hands up in the air to emphasize his point. "So I need you to fix me."

Sweets just stared at him. Booth must be at the end of his rope to be here asking me for help, he thought.

"Did you have any issues sleeping while you were in Afghanistan?"

"No. I slept like a baby."

"How would you describe your time in Afghanistan?"

Booth took a deep breath. "I spent most of my time training young recruits. Near the end I accompanied them on some missions. I don't know Sweets, I guess I'd say it was productive. I was glad to come back though. I missed Parker and..." Booth closed his eyes and blamed his lack of sleep for the almost admission about having missed his partner. He hoped that Sweets wouldn't pick up on his slip. He wasn't that lucky.

"...and...what? You missed Parker and..." Sweets watched as Booth's head dropped towards the ground and his shoulders quickly followed suit after a deep sigh.

 _I am not mentioning Bones…I'm not mentioning Bones…_ Booth repeated over and over in his mind. There was a glimmer of intensity in Booth's eyes when he returned his gaze to Sweets. "I missed Parker and my life here in DC." Booth continued to stare at the psychologist as if daring him to question him further.

Sweets knew he had not initially intended to finish the sentence like that but decided not to push it. "Tell me about Hannah."

"This has nothing to do with Hannah, Sweets. She's great. She's the only thing in my life right now that makes any sense!"

"What do you mean by that? What do you mean she's the only thing that makes sense?"

Booth let out an exasperated sigh. "Sweets, what does this have to do with me not sleeping?"

"Booth, you came to me for help but I can't help you if you aren't willing to answer my questions."

Booth stared at him for a second and just as Sweets thought he might get up and walk out he slowly began, "she...Hannah…is everything I have always said that I wanted in a woman. She's beautiful, smart, funny. She believes in the same things that I do, like love and marriage and…she loves me. She really loves me. She left her war correspondent position that she adores to take a contract position with the Post just so she could be near me. We never argue. She's perfect. She is the kind of woman I always wanted to meet and settle down with. Everything about our relationship is just so...easy. It's...perfect." Booth's eyes had once again lost their intensity.

Sweets heard everything that Booth was saying and although he didn't doubt a word of it he felt as though the 'perfection' of his new relationship wasn't making Booth all that happy.

"Are you happy?"

Booth snorted. "Didn't you just hear what I told you? Of course I'm...happy." Even Booth could feel the hollowness in his words even if he couldn't understand it. He stared at Sweets pleading with his eyes to help him make sense of what he was feeling.

Sweets tilted his head to the side and took in Booth's troubled expression. If this was what Booth looked like when he was happy he'd hate to see him upset. "You said your relationship with Hannah is the only thing in your life that makes any sense right now. What are the things in your life that you feel don't make any sense?"

Booth smoothed down his tie and sighed. This wasn't a time to lie. He needed Sweets' help. "I don't know Sweets. I just feel like...I was so excited to come back...to feel like myself again, you know? But then I got back here" his eyes fell to the floor again "...nothing was like I expected. I knew things would have changed but I guess I just wasn't ready for how difficult it would be to adjust."

"Can you give me an example?"

Booth sat and stared at his hands in his lap. This was why he hadn't wanted to come to Sweets in the first place. The one thing that had changed and that he was having a hard time adjusting to was his relationship with Bones and he didn't want to talk about it. Of course the fact that he never saw his partner and best friend anymore bothered him. How could it not? He missed her. He missed her a lot. He felt lonely and didn't know why. He had Hannah. How could you be lonely when you weren't alone?

Minutes passed in silence as Booth continued to avoid the therapist's stare.

Sensing his friend needed a little push, Sweets cleared his throat. "How's Dr. Brennan?"

Booth shook his head gently. How could he explain how he was feeling to Sweets when he couldn't even explain it to himself? He couldn't do this right now. He wasn't ready. He determinedly rose from where he was sitting and made for the door. "You know what Sweets, I feel better already. I think I'm good. Just forget I was ever here alright?" But just as he was about to pull the door open Sweets sighed.

"Booth, you have to deal with your relationship with Dr. Brennan sooner or later."

The exhaustion immediately set it in as silence filled the office once again. Booth's own body weight felt almost too heavy for him to carry as he slowly turned around. Dejectedly, Booth replied, "why does everyone keep telling me that? There is nothing to deal with."

Sweets had seen the change in him immediately. Booth was definitely a broken man and Sweets hated seeing him like this. Gently, he began, "before you left you admitted to me that you had feelings for Dr. Brennan."

"Yeah, well, now I'm with Hannah, so…" Booth didn't know how to finish the sentence.

He felt so embarrassed and yet couldn't understand why. **She** had been the one to deny **him**. **She** had been the one to tell **him** to move on. **He** had only done what **she** had asked him to do. **She** was the one that ran to the other side of the world. **She** was the one who had rejected **him**. He had offered her everything he had and it hadn't been enough... **he** hadn't been enough. He would **never** be enough for Temperance Brennan. He could feel the tears quickly welling in his eyes.

"Did you ever deal with your feelings for Dr. Brennan?"

"Listen Sweets, my feelings for Bones don't matter anymore." Booth mumbled.

The young therapist didn't believe him. "Did you talk to her about them?"

Booth sadly laughed. "I'm the gambler, aren't I?" Then he made the decision to tell Sweets exactly what happened that night in front of the Hoover. He hadn't told anyone and it felt good to get it off his chest. At the end of the story he looked up to see Sweets leaning forward towards him.

"Duuuuuude..." was all the young psychiatrist could muster.

"Don't call me dude, Sweets." Booth said without any conviction.

"Sorry" Sweets mumbled. "I guess that explains why you both left DC so quickly. Did you ever deal with your feelings for Dr. Brennan? I mean it's one thing to say you are going to move on and another to ACTUALLY move on."

"Of course I dealt with them…I mean I'm with Hannah, aren't I? What kind of guy would be with a terrific woman like Hannah and not be ready to move on?" Sweets knew Booth had meant it to be a rhetorical questions but the FBI agent was now looking at him as if he really wanted an answer.

Sweets gave Booth a small sympathetic smile and replied softly, "A confused and broken one."

Booth leaned back in his chair and sighed and looked back down to his hands in his lap. "Not everything is about Bones." He muttered.

"No, but I think deep down you know that this **is** about her."

"I feel like I don't know anything for sure anymore." Booth continued avoiding eye contact.

"I think you need to talk to Dr. Brennan about this. Until you do you'll never deal with the feelings you had or may still have for her and your subconscious will continue to keep you up at night."

Booth considered what Sweets had just said and in an attempt to reassure himself more than trying to convince Sweets, responded almost desperately "I'm with Hannah now, Sweets. I can't be in love with Bones."

"Look, all I'm saying is that until you talk to Dr. Brennan you'll never be able to move forward…with or without Hannah."

Booth didn't want to admit it but he knew Sweets was right. Bones had crushed him that night outside of the Hoover Building and then they had both just gone about their business without really talking about it or dealing with the fallout. He really cared about Hannah. She was amazing and she deserved a man that was able to commit 100% to a relationship rather than a man who was wasting so much energy mulling over something that happened over a year ago. He needed closure with Bones. He couldn't move on without it.

Right now he was living in a hell where every time he looked at Hannah he couldn't help but feel like he was using her and couldn't look at Bones without feeling like he was cheating on her. He couldn't live like this anymore. "You're right." He started to rub the back of his neck with one of his hands. "You know, we haven't even really talked since we got back. We've hardly spent any time together."

Sweets leaned forward shocked. He had heard from Hodgins that Booth hadn't been around the lab much but he had just thought it was because neither Booth nor Brennan had been cleared for field work yet. "Wait, you two aren't even talking to each other? I mean I know you haven't had any cases together but I just assumed that your friendship picked up again when you got back."

Booth sighed and sadly shook his head. "Before we left, we agreed to meet by the reflecting pool when we got back."

"She didn't show up?" Sweets asked incredulously.

"No, I mean, she showed up at first...and then within an instant she wasn't there. I mean 'Dr. Temperance Brennan' was there but...'Bones' wasn't...you know what I mean?"

Sweets stared at him blankly.

Booth continued on trying to explain. "When I first saw her, that day, it was like we had never left. She ran to me…She **ran** to me, Sweets! And she hugged me and I could tell she was ready to cry...it felt...right, natural...and then...she just all of a sudden acted like she didn't even want to be there, like she had a better place to be. We haven't actually talked to one another since then other than brief awkward conversations on the phone. I left a message for her inviting her for lunch but...She's been...busy"

Sweets caught the sarcasm with which he had said his last statement. "You don't think she's been busy?"

"She's always been busy, but never **too** busy for me." Sweets could not help but notice how broken Booth looked as he slumped in his chair. Booth went on still staring at the ground, "I was so excited to see her Sweets. I had missed her so much. I was excited to get back to my life. I'd have Parker...I'd have Bones back...and I had Hannah to show Bones that I had moved on that she didn't have to worry about anymore big declarations from me...Hannah would show her that we could go back to the way things were before I said anything. We could be partners and friends, best friends. She could let her walls down around me again because I wouldn't pose an emotional threat to her anymore. I thought that when Bones saw that I had moved on, everything thing between Bones and I would be back to normal. But instead I've made everything worse."

"Booth, did you start dating Hannah for yourself...or for Dr. Brennan?"

Booth looked at him in shock and then horror. "I don't know. I'm not sure of anything right now. I just don't know. What am I doing, Sweets? I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm so lost." He looked at Sweets with pain in his eyes.

Sweets leaned forward and touched Booth's shoulder trying to convey his support and affection for the usually strong and cocky FBI agent. "You're a good man, Booth. I mean, you said it yourself. You're not sure of anything right now. You've been through so much in the last year and half and you haven't let yourself process any of it. I think you have to figure some things out but I can assure you, you are a good man with a good heart. You are!...Just, maybe a confused one. Before you can worry about either of the two women in your life you have to worry about yourself. If you don't, you won't have anything of yourself to offer either of them, whether it be love or friendship."

Booth looked up and met Sweets' gaze. The young therapist recognized Booth's eyes as those of a man whose tears were threatening to overwhelm him.

Booth swept his tongue over his front teeth trying to gain some semblance of control. "When I met Hannah, she was a breath of fresh air, Sweets. I didn't have to guess what she was thinking. She made it pretty clear that she wanted to be with me. She kept me sane over there. Then I get back here thinking I have everything I could ever want. I had an amazing girlfriend and I would have my amazing partner and best friend back…life would be perfect. But...Things are the worst they've ever been between Bones and me and Hannah has been so patient but I can't expect her to wait around forever. I feel like I'm spinning out of control and I don't know how to anchor myself."

"Are you in love with Hannah?" Sweets asked softly.

Booth shook his head softly. "I don't know. I care about her...a lot...we've only been together for about 6 months so, I mean..." Booth seemed to be trying to find the right words. "I should love her, right? I mean she's perfect. We would have a good life together."

"Would a life with Hannah make you happy?"

Booth considered Sweets' last question. "When I left Afghanistan I really felt like I might actually be able to move on. I felt happy and content. But being back here and seeing Bones again and being surrounded by everything that was 'ours'...I can't just, 'not miss' her. I mean, **really** miss her. How do you miss someone so much and feel so lonely when you're not actually alone? Sweets, I feel so...lost."

Sweets felt sorry for his friend. This man was not the same confident, annoyingly arrogant Special agent Seeley Booth that Sweets had once known and admired. "Talk to Dr. Brennan, Booth. Start with that."

Booth nodded almost imperceptibly and slowly rose from where he had been sitting. He made his way to the door and just before opening it Sweets said, "Booth, if you need anything, and I mean **anything** , even if it's just someone to listen to you, I'm always here, as a friend...completely off the record."

Booth turned around towards the young therapist. "Thanks Sweets. I really appreciate it." And with that, he was out the door.


	3. Chapter 3: The Favour

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

CHAPTER 3: The Favour

"...I still can't believe you got to live in a real jungle for a whole year! Do you think the next time you go on a trip I could come and visit?"

"I would love it if you visited, Parker. We'd have to talk to your dad and mom but maybe we could work something out when you're a bit older."

Brennan couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm of her partner's young son. She couldn't believe how much he reminded her of his father and how much being around him thoroughly energized her while at the same time made her acutely aware of how desperately she missed the older Booth.

Over the weeks since her return, the profound sadness she had felt that day at the reflecting pool had continued to plague her and she was unable to ignore, what she could only describe as, her 'achy heart'. She missed Booth more than she ever could have imagined but she also realized that she couldn't be around him because she was so embarrassed by her misread of the situation. She still couldn't believe how wrong she had been. Although, really she shouldn't be surprised. She was never one to be able to read people very well, even Booth had said so.

She had come a long way in re-compartmentalizing her feelings for Booth but she knew that being around him would threaten the very foundation of those walls. She wasn't ready yet. She wasn't strong enough yet.

Besides, she wanted Booth to be happy. It wasn't his fault that she had misread him so blatantly. He deserved to be happy and she didn't want to run the risk of him recognizing the signs of her crushed heart and asking too many questions that would simply make things worse for them both. It would only make an eventual rebuilding of their friendship impossible.

So, she had chosen to stay away, for his sake and hers. If she was being honest she had to admit that she also stayed away for her own sanity. She knew it would be too hard to watch him with **her**. Jealousy had never plagued Temperance Brennan...until now.

For the last 5 weeks she had been able to successfully avoid Booth but not the knowing looks of her co-workers and friends. Thankfully, she had been able to avoid all awkward conversations with anyone. Even Angela had given up asking what was going on.

"Just think of all the fun we'd have Bones! Oh and all the different animals we'd see!" Brennan was pulled back to reality by Parker's enthusiastic ramblings. She laughed and gently squeezed the small hand of the 11 year-old that had just grabbed her own in excitement. He was smiling the trademark Booth charm smile and Brennan couldn't stop smiling herself.

Parker was taking part in the Jeffersonian Science Enrichment program led by Brennan's father Max which had Parker at the lab once a week for the full day. Parker and Brennan had gotten into the habit of meeting for lunch on these days. Parker would talk about school and his baseball team and Brennan would wow him with her adventures in the jungle. Selfishly, it was Brennan's way of spending time with a Booth without actually spending time with **the** Booth. They both equally enjoyed their lunches together and felt as though for the hour, they were in their own little world.

It was this little world that Seeley Booth intruded on that day. It had been the first time in over a month that he had laid eyes on her. He leaned on the door jamb unnoticed and watched two of his favourite people interact with each other. The scene in front of him made his heart simultaneously melt and ache.

This is what he had wanted for his life…before Brennan had made it clear that it would never happen. Parker and Bones were laughing and hugging; just sharing each other's time. She was completely at ease with his son and the obvious joy shining from her eyes made Booth miss Bones more then he already did…if that was even possible.

Parker had been telling Booth about his lunches with Bones from the beginning and it warmed his heart to know that his son's lunches with Bones had become as important to Parker as Booth's lunches with Bones were to his father. Booth had always loved sharing meals with his partner. It was, in his mind a very intimate act. It was a time when both let their walls down and talked about things that had nothing to do with work. In those moments Booth could pretend, even if it was for only an hour, that they were sharing a life rather than simply a partnership. They used to be moments that felt right, like they were both exactly where they were supposed to be. Booth longed for that feeling again as he watched his son having his own moment with Brennan. God, was he actually jealous of his own son? The feelings that this woman stirred in him were infuriating.

"Dad!" Finally, Parker noticed his father standing in the doorway and Booth gently pushed off the door frame and entered Bones' office.

"Hey little man." He said as he pulled Parker in for a hug as he jumped off the couch. Brennan couldn't hide her initial surprise and excitement when she saw her partner. It had been over a month since she had laid eyes on him. But just as quickly as the surprise and excitement came, it was replaced by a profound sadness as reality hit her.

Booth finally looked up at her and hated seeing Brennan's body automatically stiffen and her eyes lose the brightness they had when he first saw her. It made him sad to see her reaction to him and it only confirmed what he had originally believed. She didn't want to see him. Even still, he couldn't help but feel his heart respond to the mere sight of her. He missed her so much. "Hey, Bones." He added almost shyly.

Brennan stood, smoothed her shirt down and as she walked over to her desk she quietly replied, "Booth." She then focused her attention completely on her computer screen.

"So what are you doing here, dad? I thought I wasn't going to see you until tonight when you picked me up for the ballgame."

Booth suddenly remembered why he had come to see Parker and the excitement of seeing both his son and partner dissipated quickly.

"Listen bub, about the ball game tonight..."

"Dad, I am SO excited! I was telling all my friends that we're going to see the Nationals tonight and that we have tickets right behind home plate...they're so jealous!" Parker's face was lit up with happiness.

Booth sighed. He had been just as excited as Parker when one of his colleagues had offered him the tickets. Parker had been so pumped when he heard they were going and Booth knew that he was about to break his son's heart with his next sentence. "Parker, I don't think we'll be able to go. My boss' boss has called a meeting that I can't get out of and it starts at 6. By the time I get out of there it'll be too late to get to the game."

Parker's face fell. "Aw come on dad! You promised! These are right behind the plate!"

"I know, pal." Booth felt terrible. "I tried to get out of the meeting but I just couldn't. Your mom is out of town for the night and Hannah..."

"I don't want to go with Hannah. I want to go with you." Parker interrupted while looking up at his father sadly.

Booth's face fell. "I know, and I really wanted to go with you. I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Booth said sincerely.

Brennan watched as both Booth boys sulked in the middle of her office. It was clear to her how important going to this game had been to both of them and she hated seeing either one of them upset. She took a steadying breath and offered quietly, "I could take you, Parker." Both Booth heads shot up and looked at her in shock as if they had forgotten she was even there. She continued quickly trying to fill the awkward silence, "I know I'm certainly not as knowledgeable as your father about the sport and I know you'd prefer to go with him but..." She stopped talking as Parker ran to her and wrapped her in a hug that knocked the her breath out.

"Really Bones?! You'd really take me?" Parker yelped.

Brennan smiled down at the young boy. "As long as it's ok with your father."

Parker and Brennan looked to Booth who was still standing there trying to digest what she had just said.

"So, can I go with Bones?! Please?!" Parker pleaded.

"Sure, I mean...Bones, are you sure? I mean, you hate baseball!" Booth said to Brennan.

"Well, I may not particularly love the sport but I think with company like Parker I will thoroughly enjoy the experience. Besides, it would be a shame for him to miss out on something he has been looking forward to when I'm able to take him."

Parker hugged Brennan again flinging himself into her arms and she couldn't help but laugh and run her fingers through his soft curls.

Booth wanted to hug Bones too. It was clear that his son adored her almost as much as he did.

Brennan looked up and met Booth's eyes. She saw a softness in them that she had missed this past year. It was the same softness that used to always be in his eyes when he talked to her about anything non-work related. She used to love that softness, she used to live to see it. If she was honest with herself, she had to admit that she still did. She took advantage of the moment and took him all in.

He was absolutely gorgeous. His suit fit him perfectly emphasizing his perfectly toned body and his crisp white shirt contrasted perfectly with the tan of his skin. His slightly loosened red tie led your eye directly down to the 'cocky' belt buckle that was just so...Booth-y. She loved it...she loved...She quickly looked away. How was she ever going to work through these feelings if she allowed herself to think these thoughts?! How had compartmentalization become so difficult for her? She steeled her expression before looking back to her partner.

Booth stood and watched as the multitude of emotions washed over her face one by one and was frustrated by his inability to read her. He had always been able to read her. Had they really grown so far apart in the last year? He awkwardly cleared his throat when his partner's eyes came to rest on is. "Thanks Bones. I really appreciate it." He said with emotion.

"It's no problem...really it'll be very enjoyable." Turning to Parker she said, "What time does it start?"

"Well Bones, the actual game starts at 7 but they have batting practice at like 6 so we **have** to be there by then! Aw, Bones! This is going to be awesome!" an enthusiastic little Booth answered.

"Yes, it will be...awesome." Looking down at her watch she continued, "actually you better get back to class. Meet me here once you're done for the day and then we can head out, ok?"

"You got it, Bones! See you then." Tuning to his father Parker hugged him and happily declared, "Bones is the best, isn't she, dad?"

Booth smiled gently and looked over to Brennan. "Yeah pal, she sure is." He replied making his partner blush.

Parker quickly said his goodbyes, grabbed his little lab coat and ran out to join his afternoon class leaving Booth and Brennan alone in the office.

He couldn't stop the warmth that took over his body and the smile that took over his face. Staring at is partner he felt alive again for the first time in a long time. Sure their relationship was not on solid ground right now but her willingness to take Parker to the game when he knew how much she loathed professional sports proved that she hadn't let the strain in their relationship interfere with the relationship she had with his son. And that warmed his heart. Booth stood only feet away from her and couldn't erase the goofy grin he was sending his partner's way. "Thanks, Bones."

"It's not an inconvenience, Booth really, like I s..." She began dismissively before Booth interrupted her.

"No Bones, it **is** a big deal." He said with conviction as he took a step forward and his eyes looked directly into hers. "I know you and I are in a weird place right now..."

"I wouldn't call my office weird, Booth..." she interrupted him, confused.

"No, Bones, I mean, you know, things between you and me, they're kind of...off right now...but despite that, you just did me a huge favour by making my kid's day and by making him the happiest I've seen him in a long time. So, believe me, it's a big deal to **me**. Thank you." He finished sincerely.

Brennan allowed a small half smile to form and shyly responded "You're welcome, Booth." Her eyes dropped to the floor as she continued. "No matter how 'off' we are right now, you're still my partner and friend. Besides, you know how much I care about Parker. I love seeing him happy." What she didn't tell him was that one of the reasons she loved seeing him happy was because he reminded her of Booth the most when he was happy. They both had the same dancing eyes and the same charm smile. Their excitement was always contagious.

He adored seeing this side of Brennan, the side that was sweet and vulnerable. It was a side that she didn't let a lot of people see and he always felt so privileged when she allowed him to see it. His stomach tightened and tingled in that exciting way that it always had when he was around her. They were standing only a foot from each other now and Booth could no longer ignore the urge to hug her. Brennan found herself in Booth's arms and suddenly her attempt to stay away from him, her attempt to compartmentalize her emotions and feelings for him seemed absolutely pointless. The foundation of her walls was crumbling with every second she stayed in his arms...and she didn't care.

She closed her eyes for a split second and savoured the feeling of being in his arms again, of being in the one place that felt right, natural. She inhaled deeply taking in the scent that could only be described as Booth. She loved the way he sighed as he let his hands softly rub her back.

Booth couldn't stop himself from pulling her tighter against his chest and loved how she tightened her arms around him in response. Neither one wanted to let go. For those few seconds the past year and a half had never happened. They were able to act however they wanted without fear of questions from the other.

"Knock Knock!" They broke apart quickly and turned to see Angela standing in the doorway smiling at both of them. "Hey, Agent Studly! Long time no see!"

"Hey Ange. You look beautiful as usual." Booth smiled at Brennan's best friend.

"Aw, thanks Booth and you look as delicious as ever too!" She giggled and walked in handing Brennan a stack of files. "Here you go, Sweetie. These are the sketches of those skulls you brought back from Maluku. Hope it helps. Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, actually, I can't. I'm taking Parker to a baseball game."

"Baseball, huh?" she turned to Booth with a mischievous smile.

Booth quickly cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, here are the tickets, Bones" Booth pulled two out of his inside jacket pocket. "and seriously Bones, you have no idea how much I appreciate this."

Brennan blushed and took the tickets from Booth's hand. "It's not a problem, really. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Parker. He's a great kid. I'll drop him off at your place after the game?"

"Yeah...ok. Sounds great. Thanks again." Booth reached out and squeezed the hand that was now holding the tickets. It felt good to touch her again, he thought. "Have a good time…I'll see you tonight." He smiled at her once more and then walked out of the office towards the exit. Brennan watched as he walked away and loved that at least for the last few moments she was able to just enjoy being in Booth's presence and forget about the drama of the last year.

"Now that was more like it! Finally you two are acting normal again. It's about time." And as Angela left, Brennan looked down at the tickets in her hand and she couldn't help but smile. She was looking forward to her night with Parker. Like he had said; it would be 'awesome'.


	4. Chapter 4: The Proposal

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

CHAPTER 4: The Proposal

By the time Booth got home that night after the meeting it was around 9:30. He tossed his keys on the kitchen counter, flicked on the lights and walked towards the couch. As he flopped down he grabbed the remote and flipped to the channel broadcasting the ballgame. It was in the 8th inning and Washington was winning by one run.

Booth took off his suit jacket and laid it over the back of the couch and as he was loosening his tie the camera took a shot of the batter that included the fans in behind the backstop and his heart swelled when he saw them.

There were his son and his partner, both wearing Washington National ball caps, his son holding a hotdog and leaning over and saying something in Bones' ear as he pointed at the field. Whatever it was that he had said made Bones throw her head back in laughter. Booth loved it when she did that. There was a glow about her when she was that happy. He wished he was there with them. He wished he could make her laugh like that…like he used to.

He thought back to the afternoon and the time he had shared with Bones. It had been brief but it was the happiest he'd been in a long time. He felt like himself and holding her made everything make sense again. Holding her like that felt right.

He took his tie off and threw it on top of his suit jacket and leaned back. How had he gotten to this point? If he had any doubts that just being around Brennan would make him feel alive again, this afternoon had erased them. He couldn't deny how he felt when he was around Bones and because of that, he couldn't help but think about how pathetic he was. He had told Brennan that he was going to move on and he had. He had met Hannah. He had started dating her. He was in a committed relationship with her.

He had moved on...

 _There's a difference between saying you've moved on and actually moving on._

...Booth sighed. He didn't get the same feeling around Hannah that he did around Bones…that same excitement…the same relief.

He kept telling himself that he had to give it time. He had a history with Bones. It was no wonder he felt that way around her and once he had some history with Hannah he'd feel the same way about her and his feelings for Bones would start to fade.

…But was he just trying to fool himself?

Booth's love for Brennan had, at one time, consumed him. He had spent the last year trying to convince himself that he finally had control over the emotions she inspired in him. If this afternoon was any indication, one thing was sure, his feelings for his partner certainly weren't fading like he had hoped.

Sweets was right. Booth knew more than anyone that sometimes your heart overruled the mind. He decided that he needed to talk to Bones. He needed to have a real conversation with her. He needed to deal with what happened between them and figure out what was going to happen next.

She didn't want to be with him romantically. He got that. She had made that abundantly clear outside the Hoover and this past year and half with the lack of communication.

It was obvious that it was unhealthy to feel so strongly for someone who didn't return his feelings...He got that too. What he needed were some defined boundaries for his relationship with Brennan. Their relationship had always been so fluid, fluctuating back and forth between friendship and 'almost romantic'. It was the murkiness of the relationship boundaries that had always made it difficult for Booth to shut that door on the possibility of love with Brennan.

He needed clarity. He would talk to Bones and get 'relationship clarity'…then he would have his friendship with Brennan back…he'd be able to focus all of his attention on Hannah…and hopefully, he'd be able to sleep soundly again.

He wanted to be happy and he wanted to feel whole. He wanted to be the friend that Bones wanted him to be and the boyfriend that Hannah wanted and deserved. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life pining after a woman he couldn't have while dating another that deserved so much more than he could offer. No, if a friendship with Bones was going to happen and if he was going to have a real relationship with Hannah he needed closure on the events that transpired the months leading up to his Afghanistan assignment and he needed clarity about the future. Maybe then his heart wouldn't ache at the mere mention of his partner's name and maybe his breath would cease to hitch every time they accidentally touched.

He needed to be honest with Bones and Hannah and he needed them to be honest with him. Only then could he figure things out, only then could he close that chapter and truly move on. He felt like the happiness of all three of them depended on his ability to do just that.

The next time he looked at the TV they were playing clips from the day in sports. The game was over and Bones would be dropping Parker off soon. He decided to jump into the shower quickly. It had been a long day and he was excited to see both his son and his partner.

"Perhaps he's not home yet Parker. He doesn't seem to be answering the door." Brennan said as she knocked again.

Parker was digging in his school bag. "Don't worry Bones I've got my key in here somewhere…Ah! Here it is!" Parker proudly pulled out his key to his father's apartment and let them both in. As they walked in they saw that the lights were on and heard the shower running. Parker ran to the bathroom door and rapped loudly on it. "We're back, dad!" Parker yelled excitedly.

"Ok, I'll be out in a second." Booth yelled back just as excitedly and seconds later the shower shut off.

Bones was still standing in the entrance. She felt out of place. She noticed a woman's jacket hanging on one of the hooks by the door and assumed it was Hannah's. She wondered if Hannah had moved in with Booth. Just the thought of him sharing his life with someone in that way made her heart hurt. It had been such a good night that she didn't want it ruined and thought it best to make her exit before anything else upset her including the sight of her partner. She looked at Parker and pointed towards the door "It's late. I'm just going to leave. Could you tell your father for me?"

Parker looked back to the bathroom door and yelled again. "Hurry up dad, Bones is leaving."

That hadn't exactly been what she had meant. She cringed when the bathroom door was flung open and Booth emerged wearing only a pair of old sweatpants that hung low on the hip. He was still trying to towel dry his hair, an action only drawing Brennan's attention to the well defined musculature of his arms and chest. She couldn't tear her eyes away. She knew that Booth was in good shape but didn't realize how 'in shape' he was until his perfectly tailored suits were no longer obscuring her view.

Booth quickly ruffled Parker's hair and then started walking towards Bones who was still standing in the entrance.

"Sorry Bones. I didn't think you'd make it here that quickly. I just really needed a shower. It was a long day." He turned back to Parker. "So...how was the game? Did you have fun?"

"Dad it was AWESOME! Sooooo much fun! Bones bought me hotdogs! And the Nats won!" As his son recited the exciting tale of how they got to the game and how cool Bones was as she cheered for the home team, Booth looked over at Brennan.

Brennan tore her eyes away immediately from his chest and looked at Booth as if she hadn't heard a word anyone had said. Booth could have sworn she had been staring at his chest. She must just be tired, he thought.

As Parker finally finished his part of the story, Booth turned to Brennan again, "And Bones, did you have fun too?"

Brennan gave him a genuine smile. "I did. It was the most fun I've had in a long time."

He nodded gently and returned her smile. He couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked with her hair in a ponytail sticking out of the back of her Washington ball cap. He put on his best charm smile, took a couple of steps toward her and tapped the brim of her cap. "Cute hat, Bones." Booth noticed a slight blush appear on her cheeks as she dropped her eyes. When her eyes met his again they had the determined look that Booth always loved.

"Well, Parker told me that if I wanted the full baseball experience I had to wear one."

"It's true, right dad?" Parker looked to his father.

"Absolutely pal! Can't go without one." He turned back to Parker. "Listen pal, it's getting late. Why don't you go jump in the shower and then I'll come and tuck you in. It's way past your bedtime."

"Ok." Parker turned to Brennan and hugged her around the waist. "Thank you so much Bones. I had a lot of fun."

"I did too Parker. Thank you for teaching me about baseball! It's actually quite a complex and intriguing game."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool!" Parker responded.

She smiled as she hugged the child back. She looked up and made eye contact with Booth and her breath hitched. There was that look; the look she had seen so many times before. It was the look that she had identified that night outside of the Hoover building. A year ago she would have broken the eye contact immediately but now she couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

In that moment she forgot the reality of the situation and lost herself in the dream of being able to look at him like this 30, 40, 50 years down the road. However then her world came crashing down when Booth broke the eye contact first and she instantly realized her dream would never come true.

Booth was with Hannah. He had moved on and whatever was causing him to look at her like this would fade just as easily as the feelings he professed to have for her a year prior had faded away.

Booth found it difficult to tear his eyes away from Brennan. He couldn't believe how good it felt just watching the scene unfold in front of him. He had seen this moment in his dreams so many times. Even the look in Bones' eyes was reminding him of every fantasy he had had about her over the last 6 years.

He was so used to Bones shying away from direct eye contact in situations like this, that the fact that her gaze stayed locked with his was stirring something deep within his gut. He broke the eye contact first and internally chastised himself for feeling the way he did and looking at her the way he had. The only solace he could take was that it wasn't likely Bones had noticed. She had never been good at picking up on things like that.

When Booth returned his gaze to hers he noticed a profound sadness overwhelm her before her eyes dropped to the floor. The moment was over and they both were pulled back to reality when Parker pulled away from Brennan and spoke.

"Bones I'm going to have a quick shower and then will you tuck me in?" Parker said as he wandered slowly towards his room. When she didn't respond he turned and saw that she was hesitating and added a "Please?" with the signature Booth charm smile.

Brennan wanted to be anywhere in the world but in a confined space alone with Booth but she could never say no to Parker. She laughed at her inability to deny the effect the Booth charm had over her. Quietly she responded, "sure." Parker smiled widely and ran down the hallway to his bedroom.

Booth and Brennan found themselves alone in Booth's entrance and his close proximity to his partner suddenly made him acutely aware of his state of semi undress. "Ah...make yourself at home Bones. I'm just going to go and grab a shirt. I'll be right back."

As he left the living room he grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the couch to hang it up in his closet. As he disappeared down the hallway, Brennan took a couple of steps towards the kitchen and saw Booth's tie lying on the ground behind the couch. She bent over and picked it up with the intention of simply putting it back on the couch but once she had the red tie in her hands the scene from a story she had once written flashed in her mind.

" _Are we having doubts?" he had asked._

" _Not about anything important." She had said as she turned her head and noticed him struggling with his tie. She had risen from her place on the bed and had moved towards him._

" _Here." She had said with a small smile as she had taken the tie from his hands and had continued tying it for him. Their eyes had met and they had both leaned forward and had kissed longingly, the tie forgotten._

"Did you want something to drink? Wine? Beer? Water?" Booth said as he re-emerged from his bedroom. Bones could hear the shower turn on in the background.

"No, I'm good, thanks. Um," She looked back down to the tie in her hands. "Here, this must have fallen on the floor." She handed him the tie which he took and laid on the counter.

"Thanks." He smiled softly at her. He leaned against the fridge while she leaned against the counter across from him. "So I hope he didn't drive you crazy tonight." He said chuckling.

"I find it hard to believe he could drive anyone crazy, Booth." She replied sincerely. "He is an incredible young man."

Booth turned and considered her gently. "You really like spending time with him, don't you?" Booth asked sweetly.

Before even thinking it through she added, "Of course, how could I not when he's a miniature version of you?" She froze when she realized the implication of her words.

Booth was staring at her and smiled tenderly. They both remained silent until, without breaking eye contact with the beautiful woman only a couple of feet away from him, Booth whispered, "I've really missed you, Bones."

Brennan's heart ached. She wanted to be in his arms. She wanted to feel his lips on hers again but more importantly she wanted…no, needed him in her life. If she couldn't have him the way she really wanted him she would have to settle for whatever he was offering. She could no longer deny how important he was to her and how much she needed him even if they would never be more than partners and friends.

"Ok Bones! I'm ready for bed. Do you want to come tuck me in?"

Startled, both adults turned to Parker who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Another moment had been broken.

Brennan cleared her throat. "Of course, Parker."

Parker moved towards his dad and hugged him and Booth kissed the top of his head. "Good night pal. I'm glad you had fun tonight. What do ya say we make pancakes in the morning for breakfast?"

"Awesome! Sweet dreams. I love you, dad."

Booth smiled and cradled his son's head as he gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "I love you too, little man."

With that, Parker grabbed Brennan's hand and dragged her towards his bedroom as Booth watched dreamily.

Parker climbed into bed and looked expectantly at Bones.

Brennan wasn't exactly sure what she was expected to do. "So what are my responsibilities as the 'tucker in'?"

Parker laughed. "Oh Bones, you are so funny." Brennan laughed with him.

"Dad usually turns off the light and then sits beside me on the bed."

Brennan did as Parker suggested and by the light of his small night light, Brennan took her place beside the boy on the bed.

"Then he kisses me on the forehead and tells me that he loves me. Then he tells me not to wake him up before 8."

Bones chuckled, leaned forward and kissed the boy on the forehead and softly said, "I love you, Parker."

His eyes had a twinkle that hadn't been there before and he smiled widely. "You really mean that, Bones?"

"Of course I do. You are an incredibly special young man."

Parker reached up and pulled Brennan down for a hug and said proudly, "I love you too, Bones. You're awesome." Brennan had never felt so content in all her life. As Parker pulled back he kissed her on the cheek. He settled himself into bed as Brennan made her way to his bedroom door.

"Bones?"

"Yes, Parker?"

"I'm glad you're back. I missed you when you were gone."

"I missed you too."

"I missed you a whole lot but I think dad missed you the most out of anybody."

Brennan regarded the boy and cautiously asked, "why do you say that?"

"Because I haven't seen him smile as much as he smiled tonight around you. Not even when Hannah's visiting. I was kind of worried about him. But after tonight I think he's going to be ok as long as you don't go away again."

Brennan looked at the boy seriously and replied, "I have no immediate plans to go anywhere, Parker."

The boy yawned. "I'm glad Bones, because we don't want you to go anywhere."

Brennan smiled. "Goodnight, Parker."

Parker yawned again and closed his eyes and sleepily murmured "'night, Bones."

As Brennan opened the door to leave, she turned back around. "Oh and Parker, don't wake your father up before 8, ok? He looks like he needs a nice long sleep."

Parker giggled and as she closed the door behind her she heard him say, "ok Bones, I'll try...but no promises."

She leaned against the door she had just closed. She heard Booth in the kitchen washing dishes and whistling softly. She couldn't help but think how easy it would be to fall into the Booth family routine. Her dreams of the future had always been career related but standing there, all she was dreaming about was walking into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his back. She wondered when this shift in her had happened.

She went out to the kitchen and leaned against the door frame. He had yet to notice her there and so she stood and watched him. She couldn't deny how adorable this man in front of her was. He was wearing his favourite Flyers t-shirt and his hair was slightly askew from his earlier shower. He was the most important person in her life and instead of accepting the friendship that he was offering she had pushed him away because she was upset that she couldn't have more. How could she have been so stupid? She needed to be in his life in whatever way he would allow.

"Bones, can you pass me the mug from the table over there?"

She smiled. Booth knew she was there without even looking. Of course he knew she was there. He always did. Maybe they hadn't grown as far apart as she had thought. Maybe their friendship could be fixed. Maybe it could be rebuilt.

Booth turned and smiled at her as she handed him the mug to be washed. He quickly washed it and placed it in the drying tray.

Brennan sighed contentedly before suddenly realizing that she no longer had an excuse to stay. Gently, she said, "Booth, I'm going to head out. It's getting late."

"Yeah, I guess it is." He walked her over to the door after drying his hands on the dish towel. "Listen, thanks again Bones for taking Parker tonight. It meant a lot to me."

Bones opened her mouth to once again tell him it was no trouble when she noticed Booth's exaggerated look of warning and, instead, she simply smiled warmly and said, "Anytime."

Booth smiled back and then took a deep breath. It was now or never. He reached his hand behind his head and rubbed his neck. Nervously, he began. "Listen Bones, I feel like since we've been back we've been kind of out of sync, you know?" He looked up to see Brennan staring at him expectantly. "I mean, things have seemed a little awkward and we haven't really spent anytime together...and I hate it."

Brennan's heart swelled. He hated how things were between them as much as she did. "Yes, there has been a certain amount of tension in our relationship which I also dislike." She replied.

Booth nodded and continued. "I think our relationship…our friendship," he caught himself, "is too important just to ignore or to just accept the way that it is now especially if neither one of us is happy with it." He signalled with his finger between the two of them.

Brennan nodded cautiously. "What do you propose then, Booth?" She asked curiously.

"What about lunch tomorrow? You know, like the good old days. You, me, the diner?" He playfully punched her shoulder and gave her his best charm smile. "...pie..." She couldn't help but smile back and shake her head softly. Booth became more serious. "We can eat and...talk."

Brennan felt suddenly nervous. "Eat and...talk." She repeated softly.

"Yeah. Come on Bones it'll be fun." But when she looked at him sceptically he smiled nervously, "ok, at least it'll be good for us. Our friendship is worth the possible temporary discomfort that comes with a little heart to heart, don't you think?"

As Brennan stared at him standing uncomfortably waiting for her response she could no longer ignore the urge to hug her partner. She stepped forward into Booth's personal space and wrapped her arms around his middle and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt him wrap his own arms around her. She closed her eyes and savoured the moment. She buried her face in the crook of his shoulder.

"I really missed you too, Booth." She said in a whisper.

Booth swallowed hard and tightened his hold on her.

After a few minutes, Brennan extracted herself carefully from his arms and opened the front door. She turned one last time before walking out. "I accept your argument as rational and logical. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Booth smiled. "I'll pick you up around noon?"

Bones smiled back and nodded.

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and reached to hold the door. She took a step towards the threshold of the apartment and as she passed Booth quietly said, "Night Bones." She turned her head and gently nodded again and with that Booth watched her walk away and out the main door of his building. He closed the door and leaned against it. Tomorrow they would talk. He had no idea what they were going to say but at least she had agreed to talk. She believed that their relationship was worth saving and he couldn't help but be hopeful for the first time in a long time. Maybe he could be happy again.


	5. Chapter 5: Clearing the Metaphoric Air

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

CHAPTER 5: Clearing the Metaphoric Air

Booth woke up Saturday morning invigorated. Although his sleep hadn't been completely 'un-restless', it had been at least a little more sound than usual. Although he still had yet to address any real issues with Brennan, the fact that he had convinced her to meet him for lunch so that those issues could be addressed had left his mind and heart a little lighter and a little more open to rest.

After his 8:01 'pillow-to-the-face-wakeup-call' from Parker, he had listened to the young Booth recount once again in excited detail everything that had happened the previous night with Bones. It was clear that all Booth men couldn't help but be intrigued/dazzled by Temperance Brennan. They just couldn't help themselves.

After their pancakes, the Booth boys played a little football in the park before they had to part ways when Booth dropped him off at Rebecca's at about 11:30.

It was only after Booth had sworn to his son that he would tell his partner how amazing Parker thought she was, that the small curly head finally nodded its satisfaction and ran up to greet his mom who was waiting for him at the door.

As Booth parked his car in his 'normal' parking spot outside of Brennan's building the sense of familiarity felt fantastic. He knew they had a long ways to go but at least he knew they were taking a step in the right direction.

As he thought back to the day before he couldn't help but relish the moments they had shared. Booth sighed. This was one of their issues. They had six years of 'moments'…all of which normally included pregnant pauses, incidental touches, and lingering gazes. For the longest time, those 'moments' had been enough for him because in them he had seen a hope that one day the 'moments' would lead to something more.

But all that hope had been dashed that night outside the Hoover. The 'moments', no matter how right they seemed while he was in one, no longer represented a hope for the future but a torturous glimpse into a life he would never have. 'Moments' were no longer enough for him. If he wanted to have a friendship with Bones, he needed to learn how to deal with the emotions that came with those 'moments' and to push through them without being bogged down by them.

He took a deep breath. He would work it out. The important thing right now was that Bones had agreed to talk to him. He smiled to himself. Together they would figure everything out. They always did. Relationship clarity…that's what they needed.

He bounded up the few stairs to the main entrance and couldn't help but smile at Bruce, the 65-year-old security guard in Bones' building.

"Morning Bruce!"

Bruce looked up from his newspaper and the moment he recognized who had just walked in he was on his feet and shaking his hand.

"Agent Booth! Good to see you! It's been a long time. I was very happy when Dr. Brennan told me you had made it back from Afghanistan safely. It's nice to have both of you back."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate that. It's good to be back."

"What do you think the Caps' chances are this year?"

"Not as good as the Flyers'." Both men laughed jovially. "Listen, is Dr. Brennan upstairs?"

"Yes, Sir. Came back from a run a couple of hours ago."

Booth started walking towards the stairs. "Excellent. Thanks. You're a good man, Bruce!"

The security guard laughed and called back "You're just saying that because I let you in even when Dr. Brennan tells me not to."

Booth just smiled widely at the older man then turned to pull the door to the stairwell open and took the stairs two at a time. Soon he found himself knocking on Bones' door. It didn't take long for his beautiful partner to greet him. He took in her appearance and couldn't help but notice just how gorgeous she was. Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail, her makeup was fresh and young and her peacock blue blouse made her amazing ice blue eyes pop. The dark skinny jeans she was wearing did nothing if not highlight her curves.

"Hey, Bones." Booth said brightly.

Brennan smiled reservedly and stepped aside to allow his entry. As Booth took in his surroundings, Brennan closed her eyes briefly trying to still the flutter in her stomach from seeing Booth at her door looking highly attractive in his washed out jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket.

Being the FBI agent that he was, it didn't take long for Booth to notice a few things around the apartment that seemed out of place. There was the Stephen King novel on the coffee table ( _Bones would never read that_ , he thought), the sweatshirt that seemed about 3 sizes too big slung over the back of the chair and then there were the two coffee mugs on the counter. He looked towards the door and saw what was definitely a pair of men's loafers on the floor underneath the coat rack.

At that moment a sudden panic shook his body and he felt all the blood drain from his face. The image of a deep sea welder flashed in his mind and he felt extremely uncomfortable.

 _There was no way Bones was living with a guy. Right? She would have mentioned it. When Seeley, when would she have told you? You haven't exactly talked since you've been back._

Booth's inner dialogue was in overdrive. Then a wave of anger washed over him. He was angry at Bones. _A one-night-stand doesn't bring a book for the morning after. Books and shared morning coffees…that was relationship stuff. Brennan had made it clear to him that she wasn't capable of sharing her life with anyone but here she was sharing her life with someone other than him...what did this guy have or what did he offer her that he hadn't offered her?_

With that thought his anger flipped on himself _. What was he doing? He had no right to be angry. Even after everything that happened, he couldn't control his jealousy. If he had Hannah now, why did he so desperately want the sweatshirt on the back of Brennan's chair to be his, or the shoes by her door to be his own? What was wrong with him?_

"Well," she started hesitantly after witnessing but not understanding the flashes of anger flash across her partner's face. "I..."

"Tempe?" a male voice called from the bedroom hallway.

Booth's panic and subsequent anger at himself surged. _There was a man here. She had a man with her. Of course she did. Why_ _wouldn't she? Just get his name so you can run a background check on the loser._ He steeled his expression. He noticed that Bones hadn't flinched at all when her 'man friend' had interrupt their conversation and Booth couldn't help but be a little annoyed by that too.

Instead she looked at Booth calmly and said "Sorry, just give me a second, he's probably looking for a towel." She wandered down the hallway that led to her bedroom and her washroom.

Booth listened rigidly while she spoke softly to the unknown man and then heard two sets of footsteps coming back towards him. He braced himself looking down at the ground. _Was she really seriously going to do introductions?_ He was suddenly regretting suggesting this lunch at all. He was clearly not ready for this.

"Hey Booth. I just had to come out and say hello to my favourite arresting officer!"

Booth's head shot up. "Max!" Booth had an almost goofy grin on his face when he realized who her male guest actually was. The agent chided himself for the relief that he was feeling having realized that there was no deep sea welder present. The two men shook hands. "How have you been?"

"Not too bad for an old man! Welcome back, Booth. I was glad to hear you got home safely."

"Thank you. It's good to be back." Max didn't miss how Booth looked towards his daughter and smiled and how Tempe slightly blushed under the FBI agent's scrutiny. _These two were unbelievable_.

"My dad is staying with me for a couple of days. His landlord is updating the plumbing in his building." Brennan explained.

"Yep, and now I'm going to have my shower. You kids have fun and Booth, it's good to see you...especially when you don't have your handcuffs around my wrists." Max punched Booth in the shoulder a little harder than he needed to and then disappeared down the hallway.

Brennan reached for her trench coat. "Ready?"

"Absolutely. There is a piece of pie waiting with my name on it!" Booth said cheerfully as he opened the door for his partner trying to push the inner turmoil that he had just experienced to the back of his mind.

As Brennan passed Booth and went out the door she responded, "It is highly improbable that there will actually be a piece with your name on it, Booth."

Booth just chuckled, playfully rolled his eyes and followed her out the door.

The drive over to the diner was relaxed and easy as they both asked each other about their respective family. Brennan laughed as Booth told her about Jarred and Padme's latest adventure on their trip through the rainforest and she loved hearing that Pops had asked about her and asked to see her the next time Booth made the trip to see him. In turn Booth listened intently as Bones detailed the many milestones that Russ' girls had reached during their year apart and it warmed his heart as she spoke proudly of her older brother making something of himself for his family.

Soon they were both seated at their normal table and chatting easily like they always had.

"Well, it's been too long since we've seen you two here together! Do you want your usual?" the lovingly plump waitress named Rose asked.

Booth quickly glanced at Bones before responding, "I think the usual is exactly what we both need right now, thanks."

The pair sat and just stared at each other smiling for a few minutes. Bones broke the silence. "How did your meeting go last night?" Bones asked as she reached for her glass of water. Work had always been a safe topic for them.

"Well as good as any meeting with Cullen goes. It was mostly kind of a review meeting of all the open cases right now. He really wasn't happy about the progress on some of the cases. There were quite a few that seemed to have hit a dead-end. The good news is that he told me at the end of the meeting that I have been cleared for fieldwork finally and that Monday I'll have one of the open cases on my desk to work on...so partner, if you're up for it we'll have ourselves some detective work to do." Booth looked at her excitedly and waggled his eyebrows at her.

Brennan smiled and replied simply, "I look forward to it."

Booth's excitement was suddenly replaced with a nervous tension as he asked, "So you still want to do this type of work then?"

"Of course." Brennan replied confused but without hesitation.

Booth took a deep breath and steadied himself for the next question he knew he needed to ask. "ok, so you want to keep doing this work, but do you want to do it...", he looked her directly in the eyes so that he would be able to tell if she was trying to lie to him, "...with **me**?"

Brennan was even more confused as she looked at Booth's questioning face.

She felt him scrutinizing her like she had seen him do so many times to witnesses in the interrogation room. She replied, "My work with the FBI and more specifically my partnership with you is very important to me. Our record is very impressive. Logically, I know that part of the reason for our success as a team is that we are both the best in our field but while I was away I came to realize the other reason for our success."

Booth was looking at her thoughtfully waiting for her to continue. He gave her an encouraging nod.

"Studies have shown that when a person enjoys their work they are more effective and more productive. Being away, I missed my work at the Jeffersonian but more than that I missed working with you…I missed being around you. Working in Maluku made me realize that, I don't enjoy my work nearly as much when I'm not able to share it with you. So to answer your question, yes, I want to do this work and I want to do it with you. I wouldn't want to do it any other way."

Booth sat there trying to digest what his partner had just said. Had she really just admitted that she had missed him while she was away? The woman who lived to work had just told him that she didn't enjoy her work as much when he wasn't by her side. Brennan always said she never knew the right thing to say in any given situation but when it mattered she always got it just right. His heart swelled involuntarily. God, he had missed her. He smiled gently at her and nodded indicating his satisfaction with her answer.

"I'm glad. I was worried that you had decided that you didn't want to work together anymore."

Brennan cocked her head to the side and Booth couldn't help but love the way her brow creased as it always did when she didn't understand something. "Why would you have thought that?"

Booth took a deep breath. "Well, come on Bones, you told me before you left for Magoogoo,"

"Muluku" she corrected.

Ignoring the correction Booth continued "that the reason you needed to leave was because you needed a change. You needed to get away from this type of work...and I thought maybe from me."

She nervously played with her napkin. Brennan didn't want to lie to Booth but she also didn't want to tell him the whole truth. How could she admit that he was in fact the main reason for her leaving for a year? Revealing that fact would only lead to more questions, the answers to which would make rebuilding their friendship impossible. No, for the sake of their friendship she would have to be very careful with her answer. She would have to give enough information to satisfy Booth and enough truth to satisfy herself.

"I left because I needed a change. I needed a break. I found that I couldn't focus on my work at the Jeffersonian the way I used to."

 _Instead I was too focused on you and worried that something might happen to you._

"I would have been distracted by other things if I had stayed. I needed to do something different. I needed to get away and get some perspective...on everything."

... _Especially my relationship with you. I needed to get you out of my mind and push away the feelings I was having for you._

"After being away for a year I feel that I have had a sufficient enough break and am able to focus entirely on my work and our partnership again."

 _In fact that is going to be the only way I'm going to be able to deal with the realization that being away from you only intensified my feelings and my concern for you. At least if I'm working closely with you I'll be able to help keep you safe and know that you're happy instead of constantly worrying without ever knowing for sure if you're safe._

"A more extensive break is unnecessary. I am ready to resume my work with the FBI and with you."

 _Even if seeing you everyday like this will make compartmentalizing my feelings for you virtually impossible._

He continued staring at her and couldn't ignore how nervous she looked. He had seen that look plenty of times when dealing with suspects when they weren't telling the whole truth. Booth shook his head sadly and broke eye contact with his partner.

Booth considered what she had just said. It logically made sense. Of course she would find it difficult to focus on our work if she knew there was a history altering dig going on somewhere in the world that she could have been a part of. She was an anthropologist, after all.

But he was sure that the awkwardness in their relationship at the time of her decision had played more of a role in her decision than she was letting on. The way they had left things after their discussion in front of the Hoover had put a major strain on their relationship. He couldn't blame her one bit for wanting to put some distance between herself and the moron who was responsible for that strain. She was probably merely sparing his feelings by leaving that part out. Booth sighed deeply. If only they had cleared the air and had a discussion before things went spiralling out of control.

"Bones, I know you wanted to participate in the dig, but I also know that you left for Machuku, at least partially, because of me. I don't blame you for that. I was an idiot. I shouldn't have pushed you the way I did."

Brennan's eyes shot up to look at Booth. "I don't know what you mean." She stated quickly ignoring his pronunciation mistake.

The waitress chose that moment to drop off their lunch. A salad was placed in front of Brennan while the burger and fries was placed in front of Booth.

"There you go my darlings. Enjoy!" As the waitress walked away both partners played nervously with the plates in front of them.

"Look Bones, We never really talked about the discussion we had outside the Hoover Building that night."

A look of panic flashed in Bones' eyes. He wanted to talk about the conversation that had been haunting her dreams for over a year. What was she supposed to say? "Booth..."

Booth sighed. "You may not see a need at this point, but I do. If we're being honest here Bones, I have to tell you that I haven't been sleeping very well lately. Actually ever since I got back I haven't slept at all." After a short hesitation he mumbled "I even went to Sweets about it."

Brennan's eye brows shot up in surprise. "You went to Sweets? Now you have me worried."

Booth chuckled. "Yeah, well I know you think psychology is a soft science, but he actually made some good points."

Brennan looked at him sceptically.

Booth pushed through, ignoring the look on her face. "I've felt...off since I got back. Things between you and I have been tense. My relationship with Hannah seems...stalled. I mean don't get me wrong, Hannah's great but I feel like ever since we got back I haven't been able to move forward with her even though I should be moving forward, you know?"

Brennan steeled her expression at the mention of Hannah. Until then she had been able to ignore her existence. Not wanting to hear too much more about how great Hannah was, Brennan asked, "and what did Sweets have to say about it?"

"Well he thinks that all of the issues, the sleeping, our...tension, me and Hannah, it's because I haven't dealt with the fallout of our conversation last year."

Brennan became rigid. "You told Sweets about the conversation?" she asked coldly.

Booth hesitated. "Well, Bones, I didn't tell him details, I just told him the basics."

Clearly hurt, she calmly said, "I thought that was something that would fall under the category of 'ours'." Brennan responded without looking at him.

Booth took a deep breath, "I'm sorry Bones. I really am. It's just, I was kind of desperate. I mean my whole life seemed like it was falling apart. I needed to talk to somebody about it."

"And you didn't feel like you could talk to me?" She asked clearly upset.

He looked at her sadly. "No, I didn't."

Brennan's eyes dropped to her plate of uneaten food as realization hit her. Their relationship was in a very bad place. There had never been a time when either of them didn't feel comfortable talking to the other about anything. She was no longer angry, just sad. How had they let it get this far?

Booth reached out and covered her hand with his. "Bones, we're going to fix this." She looked up and the warmth she saw in his brown eyes warmed her heart.

She nodded and suddenly the warmth of his hand and the sensation of his thumb making small circles on the back of her hand were too much for her. As she pulled it away she responded, "Alright, what did Sweets say we should do?"

Booth ignored the sense of loss he felt when she pulled her hand away and instead focused on the happiness he felt at her clear acceptance of his reassurance. "He said that we should just clear the air. I agree. I mean I think a lot happened back then that neither one of us ever really processed and then it all festered and we didn't deal with anything."

It was Brennan's turn to clear her throat. "Alright. Let's clear the figurative air."

Booth nodded gently. "Alright. My first questions: Did your leaving last year have anything to do with me?"

Brennan didn't know how to answer that. She couldn't just tell him he had everything to do with it because that would inevitably lead to her throwing herself in his arms and making a fool of herself. No she had to stick to her plan of telling him just enough while not divulging everything. Booth gave her an encouraging smile. "Perhaps leaving gave me the opportunity not to have to deal with the implications of the conversation."

Booth nodded enthusiastically. "Ok, good. Now we're getting somewhere. So, from your perspective what were the implications?" He asked as he took a bite of his burger.

Bones paused to collect her thoughts. No lies and only enough to satisfy Booth's need. "I guess the idea of having a relationship with you terrified me and I didn't know how to act around you or how to deal with my fear. Muluku gave me the perfect opportunity to clear my head of...everything that I needed to clear it of."

Booth considered the answer. At least now she was admitting out loud what he had known to be true all along: Her leaving was mostly his fault. He felt a pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach. He grabbed a couple of fries. "And now? Do you still feel the same?"

Brennan took a deep breath. _Just tell the truth, Temperance_. "The fear is gone. Being away from you the last year I recognized how important you are to me. How important our...friendship is to me and nothing will ever change that." Brennan reached out and stole a couple of fries off of Booth's plate.

Booth gave her a small smile and pushed his plate a little closer to her. He wanted to make sure that she would never feel uncomfortable around him again. He needed to reassure her and hopefully reassure himself at the same time that he was moving on. "I'm glad. Bones, I just want you to know that I don't want you to worry about me putting any pressure on you to start a relationship with me. I heard you loud and clear that night and I need you to know that I accept the fact that you don't have those kinds of feelings for me. I get it. I assure you that I've moved on."

Bones looked down to her plate trying to hide the fact that tears were threatening to fall. He had made himself very clear. He had moved on and no longer felt the same way about her. Her heart was broken, even if that wasn't physiologically possible. At least now she didn't have to wonder. She could move forward trying to work through her own feelings for him. He had worked through his feelings and now it was her turn to work through her own.

Booth considered his partner carefully. He couldn't tell what she was thinking but it felt good to get things out in the open, even if he was stretching the truth a little about the moving on part. He was trying to move on with Hannah and maybe this conversation would help him do just that.

"Why do you think I left for Afghanistan?" Booth asked when Brennan finally made eye contact with him again.

Brennan was glad they were moving on to another topic and considered the question. "You felt an obligation to your country." Brennan said simply as she took her first bite of salad.

Booth sighed. "Sure, that was part of it but there was more to the decision than that." He paused and waited until Brennan made eye contact with him again.

Brennan felt suddenly uncomfortable. She put her fork down and leaned on the table with folded arms.

"Ok, what more was there?" she asked shifting her whole focus to her partner.

Booth realized just how difficult this was going to be but he kept reminding himself how important this conversation was to their friendship and that was enough of an incentive to spur him on. He took a deep breath and began. "The night in front of the Hoover Building," he noticed how Bones instinctively broke eye contact with him, "I don't take anything I said back. I meant every word of it."

Brennan was saddened by his last remark as she remembered her realization the day she got back about what **exactly** he had said to her. He wanted to 'give this a chance'. He was the 'gambler'. She shook her head. A part of her was glad she hadn't agreed that night because she couldn't have pursued a relationship with him unless he had been sure. She could never have survived the breakup. He meant too much to her to simply 'gamble' on a romantic relationship while destroying their friendship.

But the other part of her, the stronger part of her, couldn't help but think that night so long ago represented her one chance at true happiness, no matter how temporary it might have been. It had been a chance that she wasn't brave enough to take. Even if it hadn't lasted, at least she could have held on to the memories they would have created together. Now she would never have even that.

Bones' heart started beating rapidly. She couldn't look at him.

"Bones I've been through a lot in my life but I can honestly say that was one of the worst nights of my life."

Brennan looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Booth, there's no way to actually measure that." Brennan stated weakly.

Booth gently shook his head. "No Bones, let me just get all of this out before you get all squinty on me."

Bones nodded.

"I guess I just always believed that we would someday cross that line. I had this dream of you and I and what we could be together and that dream kept me standing still instead of moving forward for 6 years. But that's all it was...a dream. So as hard as it was to hear what you said that night I think it was what I needed to hear, you know? It gave me a wake-up call. Gave me a dose of reality."

She needed to tell him that she hadn't told him the truth that night. That she had only reacted to her fear the only way she knew how. She ran. But she couldn't tell him that after he had just told her that what she had said was exactly what he needed to hear. It wouldn't be fair to him. Brennan's heart rose to her throat. She may have hurt him but he was now telling her that her actions that night had ultimately given him the freedom he felt like he needed to move forward...with someone else.

Booth looked down at his meal and continued. "I left because I felt a responsibility to my country, yes, but I also needed time and space to move on, to let you go, to accept the fact that the dream of you and me together was never going to happen. Even after I knew you were leaving for sure I knew I couldn't stay here. There is so much in this city that is 'ours', too many things that reminded me of you. I knew that if I stayed in DC there was no chance of moving on like I had promised you I would."

Brennan thought she might be sick. It was so hard to hear how much she had hurt the man that she now could admit to herself that she loved. "I'm so sorry, Booth." Was all she could bring herself to say without crying in front of him.

"Don't apologize, Bones. Like I said, I needed a reality check. And you gave it to me. Pops always says that things happen for a reason and I really believe that."

Booth reached out and grabbed both of her hands with his. "I really missed you and I want you to know that you can't get rid of me that easily. You are still my best friend and you always will be." He sent her his best charm smile and she gently smiled back. Booth took a deep breath and continued. "I know this wasn't the most comfortable conversation we've ever had."

Brennan let out a huff.

"But I think Sweets was right about us having an open and honest conversation. Now we know where the other stands. We can't change what happened in front of the Hoover but there's no reason to be haunted by it either. It is what is. The past is the past. We can focus on the future now. Moving forward we can focus on our partnership and our friendship. No more pressure, no more stress. Relationship clarity!" Booth motioned with his hands back and forth between the two of them. "I feel better already, Bones. Don't you?"

Brennan wasn't sure if 'better' was the right word, but at least now they had 'cleared' the metaphoric air and maybe now she could move on too. "Of course."

They both sat in silence digesting their own thoughts until Brennan finally decided to break the silence and ask about the one thing she didn't want to know anything about but knew she had to pretend she did. If she wanted to get her friendship with Booth back she could no longer ignore the existence of his new girlfriend. Friends asked about the other's love interest. They were happy for the other when they found happiness with someone. So Brennan inwardly cringed when she asked, "so how's Hannah liking DC?"

Booth wasn't sure what he had expected Brennan to say but asking about Hannah was definitely not it. He cleared his throat "I think she's getting used to it. I don't know how much she's enjoying her work though. Being a member of the White House press corps is nowhere near as exciting as her war correspondent gig. She's been so busy with the new job that she hasn't really had a chance to meet many people yet."

Brennan suddenly realized how inconsiderate Booth must think she had been not realizing how hard this would have been on Hannah. None of the mess she found herself in was the fault of Booth's new girlfriend. She should really try to get to know her, for Booth's sake. "Well, maybe she and I could meet for lunch this week sometime. It would be nice to get to know her a little bit better." Brennan fingered her napkin as she tentatively stated.

Booth smiled. "I think she'd like that. She keeps saying how much she wants to get to know you. I'll tell her to give you a call. Thanks Bones. Parker is right, you know." Booth took another bite of his burger.

Brennan looked up from her salad. "About what?" She asked as she ate another forkful of salad.

"You really are the best."

Brennan smiled. She steeled herself for the answer to her next question. "Has Hannah found a place to stay yet? I mean that is, if the two of you haven't moved in together yet." She looked up to see Booth sitting there just as uncomfortably as she was. She thought this conversation was supposed to get rid of the awkwardness.

"Oh, well the Post is putting her up in the Roosevelt hotel for now. We're taking things slow. We have to work through a few things before we take that next step."

"I think that is very rational." Brennan was relieved to find out that they were not living together yet. She wasn't ready to handle that yet either.

"Well Bones, maybe your 'rational' tendencies have rubbed off on me after all."

Brennan couldn't help enjoy that charm smile he sent her way. Maybe things could get better.

The rest of the lunch was light and easy. It felt like the old times and they both enjoyed themselves. As Booth pulled up in front of her building he grabbed her hand one more time.

"Thanks for coming to lunch with me."

Brennan almost sadly nodded her head as they both stared into each other's eyes. The moment was broken by a gentle tapping on Booth's window. They both looked over and saw Max waving at them goofily. "Hi kids!" He called through the window. Booth rolled it down.

"Hey, Max." He said as he felt Bones pull her hand away and get out of the SUV. She walked around to stand beside her father. "Did you have fun sweetheart?"

Brennan looked at her father strangely and said, "I'm not 12 dad." And after rolling her eyes she said "Thanks for lunch Booth. I'll see you Monday?"

"Anytime, Bones. And yes, I will see you Monday."

Brennan nodded and turned to walk away when she suddenly turned back around. "Tell Hannah to give me a call." And with that she continued back up to her building.

Booth couldn't take his eyes off his beautiful partner until he heard Max say, "So...I hear you came back with a girlfriend."

Booth snapped his head towards Max and saw that he had an annoyed look on his face.

Max went on, "So you're not gay...just stupid." Brennan's father just shook his head and followed his daughter's path to the building's entrance.

Booth sighed deeply and then drove off.


	6. Chapter 6: The Likable Blonde

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

CHAPTER 6: The Likable Blonde

Dr. Camille Saroyan eyed the Diner menu. "Dr. Brennan, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by your lunch invite."

"Yeah, Bren, me too. I think it was a great idea. It was about time that we girls hang out. We haven't done this since we've been back."

"Well there isn't anything we can really do until Booth gets the remains transferred to the Jeffersonian. Besides, we have to eat right?"

"That's right sweetie, we have to eat." The three women looked up at their waitress as she came over. "So are you ladies ready to order?"

Without missing a beat Brennan responded, "actually, we're waiting on one more person."

"No problem. Take your time." As the waitress walked away all eyes were on Brennan.

"Is Booth joining us Dr. Brennan?"

Without taking her eyes off of her menu she calmly said, "no, Dr. Saroyan. I invited Hannah to have lunch with us."

Cam and Angela looked at each other in shock.

"As in Booth's Hannah?"

Still not meeting their eyes Temperance nodded.

"Sweetie, why?"

Finally, Brennan pulled her attention away from her lunch options to address her two friends. "Booth and I had lunch this weekend. We had a long talk about how things had been tense between us since we've been back. It was actually very refreshing to be honest with one another. As Booth said we were able to 'clear the figurative air'."

Angela looked sceptically at Cam and laughed. "So, an honest conversation between the two of you led to you having lunch with his new girlfriend?"

"Angela, Booth and I are dedicated to rebuilding our friendship. I thought the most logical first step would be to get to know Hannah. That's what friends do. They make an attempt at making the other's love interest feel welcomed into the social circle."

"Yes Dr. Brennan, that IS what FRIENDS do. You don't feel uncomfortable about this at all?" Cam asked bluntly.

"Why should I?" Brennan asked aloofly.

Cam and Angela both replied in unison with equally frustrated and sarcastic voices, "no reason."

Brennan knew exactly why she should feel uncomfortable. She had agreed to have lunch with the woman who was engaged in a romantic and sexual relationship with the one man she wanted to be in a romantic and sexual relationship with. She sighed. She could do this. For Booth, she could do this. It meant a lot to him and their friendship. Her internal musings were interrupted by the sight of Booth's beautiful, bubbly blond girlfriend coming through the door. As soon as Hannah saw Brennan a genuine smile overtook her face.

"Temperance!"

Brennan smiled at her and motioned for her to join them. She took the only seat available, the one across from Brennan and beside Cam.

"I'm glad you could make it. Hannah these are my colleagues and friends..."

Hannah interrupted her by waving her hand gently and saying "Seeley has already told me so much about all of you that I feel like I already know you." She said laughingly. She pointed at the woman sitting beside Brennan. "Angela Montenegro-Hodgins: the warm, funny, and talented artist and computer genius whose best friends with Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Angela was smiling widely as she extended her hand "That sounds about right."

"And..." Hannah turned to the woman beside her. "Dr. Camille Saroyan: the feisty and fiery, and fiercely sarcastic forensic pathologist from New York who doesn't pull any punches and who's known both Booth boys for years."

Cam smirked and extended her hand to Hannah. "The one and only. It's nice to finally meet you."

Hannah turned to Brennan. "Temperance thank you so much for inviting me. I've wanted to meet up with you ever since that first night but it's just been so hectic and Seeley said you've been really busy so I didn't want to bother you."

Brennan smiled guiltily. "I have been busy, but that's no excuse. I should have called you earlier. I know how hard it is in a new city when you don't know anyone."

Hannah smiled warmly and reached out across the table to pat Brennan's hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad we could all meet up. I know how important you all are to Seeley." She looked pointedly at Brennan.

The waitress came back to take their order. Each of the women ordered their usual and Brennan couldn't help but smile when Hannah ordered a cheese burger and fries, Booth's normal order. As the waitress walked away Hannah leaned back in her seat. "So ladies, let the grilling begin."

Bones suddenly got very excited. "I know what that means! That was one of the first colloquialisms that Booth taught me when we started working together. I fail to see how it works in this context though. Why would we 'grill' you?"

"Come on, Temperance. Isn't it tradition to grill the new girlfriend?" She asked jokingly.

"Yes it is!" Angela replied enthusiastically. "OHHHHHHHHHH...I LOVE a good grilling session." Angela squealed.

"Count me in." Cam said leaning in closer.

"Alright Temperance, seeing as you and Seeley are so close I think you deserve the first question. So go ahead, give me your best shot!"

Temperance considered Hannah's proposition. "Ok, what is your stance on off shore oil drilling?" The three other women stared at Brennan wide-eyed until Hannah allowed an easy smile to appear on her face. "Not the kind of question I was expecting but, ok, Temperance. I'm opposed to it. The probable ecological impacts far outweigh the potential economic benefits."

Brennan considered her answer and then nodded as if satisfied with it and then smiled at Hannah.

Angela watched the exchange and shook her head. Clearing her throat she cut in, "My turn." She said leaning forward and raising one eye brow. "How did you and Booth meet?"

Hannah took a sip of her water and began her story as the food was placed in front of them. "Well, I was entrenched in his unit for the last 8 months of his deployment. I'll never forget the first day I met him. The sun was beating down. It was hot, like I mean hellishly hot. I showed up to the base and was escorted out to where the newest arrivals were going through some training exercise. As the exercise finished a few of the soldiers noticed me standing off to the side and they started cat-calling. I mean it didn't really bother me all that much, when you're a female war correspondent you kind of get used to it but then I heard this booming voice calling the unit to attention and when I turned it was like a vision from heaven. M-m-m...there was this gorgeous, hard bodied soldier wearing desert fatigue pants, a tan muscle shirt that was sweat stained in all the right places and silver dog tags that shimmered in the sun. Let me tell you, he was THE definition of sexy."

Cam gave an appreciative sigh as Angela chuckled and then turned to Brennan who looked like she was still waiting for the punch line. "Sweetie, it was Booth."

"Oh!" Brennan said suddenly looking uncomfortable and feeling utterly foolish. Did she honestly think that she would be the only one to notice how gorgeous her partner was? She began playing with the napkin that was in front of her.

"Yes, it was Seeley. He called the 3 guys that had been whistling forward and told them that that was no way that any man, let alone an American soldier, should address a woman. He ordered them to apologize which they did and then he dismissed them. The captain on the base introduced us and suggested the three of us go to lunch to go over the details of the entrenchment which we did. While Seeley and the captain both kept stressing the safety measures they would implement for my sake I told them that my first priority was not to detract from the mission and the safety of the unit. I didn't want any measure implemented to make it more difficult for the unit to do their job or put them in more danger then they already were. I then told them that I had been around and that I could take care of myself. Then I asked if I could carry a gun."

Brennan nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a very reasonable approach."

Cam chuckled at Dr. Brennan's comment. "Yeah, one I'm sure Seeley didn't like too much."

"Well, the captain was appalled I think, but Seeley just leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed and laughed and shook his head. When the Captain looked at him angrily he apologized and said that it was just that I reminded him of another strong, independent, woman he had the privilege of working with back in DC. Then he informed me there was no way in hell I was getting a gun but told me that if I was ever in DC he had someone he would introduce me to." Hannah then turned her megawatt smile towards Brennan.

"Oh, he meant me?" Brennan hesitantly asked.

Hannah gave her a stunning smile.

Cam waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah yeah ok so you met him...the sun was hot...he was hot, yada yada yada. Get to the good stuff. How did you two hook up?" Cam asked pointedly. Angela watched as Brennan's eyes shifted uncomfortably down to her lap. When she looked up again and met her best friend's gaze she smiled tightly turning to Hannah and adding overly enthusiastically, "Yes, how did you two enter into a sexual relationship?"

Where a normal person might have been put off by Brennan's awkwardness, Hannah found herself drawn to this uniquely charming woman that was her boyfriend's partner. Then refocusing she went on with the story. "Well, for the next 2 and half months we were very professional around each other. We would normally eat together and often at night we would have a couple of drinks under the desert night sky and swap stories about life back home. I realized how much he loved his son and how much he cared about all of you. Temperance, I heard so much about you, I felt like I had known you my entire life." Brennan felt a sudden blush overtake her cheeks. It felt wonderful to know that he had talked and thought about her even while he had Hannah to keep him company.

"Anyways, one night Seeley's unit was sent on a covert mission that had them going into the heart of Al-Qaida territory. I didn't go with them because it was just too dangerous."

Brennan interrupted, "Wait, Booth told me before he left that he would be doing mostly desk work."

"Well, Temperance, I've learned that if the army wants you for desk work they won't send you all the way to the desert."

Brennan bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Anyways, without going into detail, Seeley lost a man that night. He was only 20. The unit successfully completed the mission but they all, especially Seeley, came back devastated. The other guys did what units usually do when they lose a man...they went together and drank their grief away under the stars. I noticed that Seeley wasn't with them and found him in his tent. He was sitting on his bunk with his head in his hands and a picture of his son on his bed. He looked up and I had never seen a man more broken then I saw in that moment." Hannah had to stop and compose herself as she was overwhelmed with emotion as she thought back to Booth that night.

"He looked up at me and asked 'What the hell am I doing here?' In that moment, my heart broke for him and I couldn't help but try to make him feel better. So I kissed him...and the rest is history."

Brennan quickly wiped away the tears from her face with the back of her hand. She could only imagine how Booth had felt that night. She only wished she had been there for him like he had been there for her so many times when she needed him. But she hadn't been there and he had turned to the one person that was. She couldn't blame him for that.

She had to admit that she liked Hannah. Brennan had a sudden pang in her stomach as she realized that Hannah seemed like the type of woman that Booth **should** end up with. She was smart, funny, compassionate and unlike herself, Hannah and Booth both had a warmth and kindness about them that drew people in. She really was perfect. Most difficult to admit, was the fact that Brennan had no trouble seeing that Hannah was in love with Booth. Hannah could give Booth everything that she never could. She and Booth would have a wonderful and happy life together.

This realization simultaneously brought Brennan joy and heartbreak. Brennan's vision got cloudy as tears threatened to fall at this realization.

As Cam and Hannah started their own conversation about her new job, Angela saw the emotions wash over her best friend's face and knew immediately what she was thinking and feeling. Her heart was breaking for Brennan. Angela had been wrong. She had assumed that Brennan was still ignorant of her feelings for her partner but it was clear to her that that was most certainly not the case. She had no doubt that Bren loved Booth and had admitted it to herself too. Angela reached out under the table, unseen by the other two women, and clutched her best friend's hand. Brennan looked to Angela and gave a self-deprecating smile and a slight shrug of her shoulders. In those two small gestures, Brennan had admitted to her friend that she had finally caught up with her own reality and was trying to deal with the fact that this realization had come too late.

The moment between the two friends was broken when they heard Hannah speak. "Alright ladies, now it's my turn. What kind of dirt can you give me on Seeley?"

Cam and Angela laughed heartily while Brennan looked confused. "Dirt?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah. Come on Temperance, Seeley can't be as squeaky clean as he seems."

"Oh well, I can't say in all certainty but I'm pretty sure he showers regularly." Brennan replied still confused why she would be asking about Booth's cleanliness. Hannah gently laughed.

Cam leaned forward towards Hannah and asked, "What do you want to know?"

Brennan continued to take in the scene in front of her without really knowing what to make of it all.

"Let's just get right to it..." Hannah smirked and lowered her voice and conspiratorially whispered, "who at this table has had sex with Seeley?"

Brennan's heart rose to her throat.

Hannah turned first to the pathologist to her right who was now also smirking. Cam closed her eyes and responded through an embarrassed laugh, "Guilty as charged!" Hannah laughed and offered her hand for a high five which Cam willingly accepted.

"Ok, how about you Mrs. Montenegro-Hodgins?"

Angela couldn't help but laugh. Hannah's enthusiasm was contagious. "Not unless the occasional sizzling hot dream counts."

"Oh, Angela. I'm sorry but it doesn't." Hannah replied through laughter. She sighed deeply and leaned back in her seat and looked at all three women warmly. "But I guess 3 outta 4 ain't bad, huh?"

Brennan froze. Awkwardly she said "Oh, no it's only 2 out of 4."

Hannah laughed and looked a little confused. "Wait, you and Seeley...you've never..."

Brennan quickly interrupted before she was able to finish. "No. Booth and I have never had sex."

It was Hannah's turn to look shocked. "Wow. I just assumed...I mean the way he talked about you when he was in Afghanistan...He had a picture of the two of you that he kept in his pocket with his picture of Parker...I mean...wow. Seriously?"

Brennan took another sip of her water to hide her surprise at now knowing of the picture. "Yes, I'm quite sure. Booth and I are...friends."

Hannah continued to look on in shock "So you two have never had a romantic relationship?"

Brennan replied simply, "No."

"You two have spent all of that time together in high pressure situations and it's never turned sexual, not even any heat-of-the-moment, drunken make-out sessions?"

Cam and Angela looked on, both interested in Brennan's reply to that one.

"I would hardly consider any of our kisses make-out sessions."

"Woh, your 'kisses'? Since when do you and Booth have 'kisses'?" Angela almost yelled.

Brennan considered the kisses she had shared with Booth. "Well there was the kiss under the mistletoe in front of Carolyn. But he only agreed to it so that my family could have a real Christmas. Oh and the night he fired me during our first case. But there was tequila involved and I stopped him from getting in the cab with me that night." Brennan looked off into the distance and remembered that night. How she had wanted to bring him back home with her. The way he had growled 'I think I'm going to kiss you' had turned her on like nothing had before. To this day she didn't know what had possessed her to not invite him home with her but she was so glad she hadn't. There was no way they would have developed the kind of friendship that they had today if they had given into their desire that night. Their friendship meant more to her than any night of sex, no matter how good it may have been. No, she didn't regret it at all.

"So, that's it? That's as spicy as it gets?" Hannah asked doubtfully.

Brennan thought briefly about their last kiss, the one only months before they had left DC, but she felt like it was too personal. It was a kiss that still held too many emotions for her. It was not about drunken attraction or a dare from a puckish district attorney. No, it was a kiss born of love, for both her and Booth, even if she hadn't wanted to admit it at the time. He had pulled her to him first but she had responded...before the fear had kicked in and changed the whole course of her life, she had responded. She looked at the three women around the table waiting expectantly for her. No, she couldn't share that last kiss with them.

"That's as spicy as it gets." She smiled tightly and Angela had a feeling that her best friend wasn't telling the entire truth.

Hannah wasn't sure how to take this news. Seeley had told her how much he cared for his partner and friend 'Bones'. In fact he had all but come out and told her that he had loved her. But Hannah hadn't been worried about it because she had assumed that the two partners had had their shot at romance and had decided that they were just better as friends. She wasn't sure how she felt about the fact that these two people who obviously cared about each other so much had never really taken the training wheels off their relationship. Her journalistic passion for the truth and her invested interest in the answer spurred her to ask one more question so she could judge her reaction. "So I guess you and Seeley are just proof that love isn't enough, huh?"

A silence settled around the table. Cam feeling awkward replied for Brennan, "Dr. Brennan doesn't believe in love."

"That's not true." Three heads snapped towards Brennan. "I accept that love is the established term for the feelings that cause the body to have primal instinctual reactions to another being. I just don't believe in the romantic notion of eternal love. Love is transient. So Hannah, I guess I agree with your conclusion. Love is not enough. You need a moment, an opportunity, when both individuals are at the same place with their feelings. If you don't have a shared moment then love means nothing. Sure, Booth and I have both had our own moments, but they've never coincided." Brennan suddenly felt panic set in as she realized what she had just said out loud. Had she just admitted to loving Booth…in front of his girlfriend?

Hannah simply stared at Brennan, not really sure how she should be feeling. She liked Temperance, she really did. She had never felt insecure in her relationship with Seeley, until now. She had known that he had loved Brennan but his actions pointed to the fact that he was moving on. She just figured it was only a matter of time before he was able to completely let go of the past. But now she was finding out there never really had been a past. She was almost certain that Temperance had some sort of feelings for her boyfriend. How would Seeley react if he knew that there might be an opportunity, a shared moment with Temperance? Would Seeley still move on? Would he even want to?

All four women were pulled out of their thoughts when the bell above the door signaled someone's entry.

"Ah! Just the group I was looking for!" Booth came striding over to their table. "Hey, Hannah." He leaned down and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. None of the women, including Hannah, missed how Brennan quickly looked away in an attempt to not watch the two of them show any affection to the other. "they weren't too hard on you I hope." Booth addressed his girlfriend.

"Naw, it was fun and very enlightening. I even got some dirt on you!" She smiled playfully and tugged on his tie.

Booth looked around the table and his gaze landed on Bones as he chuckled uncomfortably. "Well, we'll have to talk about that later. Bones, we've got a suspect in custody. Thought you might want to watch me work my magic like the good 'ol days." He smirked cockily.

Bones smiled and nodded her head. "For some reason I find the idea of watching you 'grill' someone oddly comforting right now."

"Wow Bones...nice use of 'grill'." He said proudly.

Brennan rose from her seat and threw down the money to cover the entire lunch for all four women. "Well Hannah helped me with that one." She smiled warmly at Booth's girlfriend.

"Thanks again for inviting me, Temperance. Maybe you, me and Seeley could meet for drink one night this week."

"Yes, that would be very enjoyable. Angela, Dr. Saroyan, I'll see you back at the lab."

Booth gave Hannah a quick kiss on the cheek and then led Bones out the door with his hand on the small of her back.

Hannah turned to the two women left at the table and nervously laughed. "Well, I think that went relatively well, don't you?"

Having witnessed the final conversation between Brennan and Hannah, both Angela and Cam had no doubt that Temperance Brennan had revealed more than she had meant to. Had the lunch gone relatively well? They both responded unconvincingly, "Sure."


	7. Chapter 7: Giving up the Dream

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

CHAPTER 7: Giving up the Dream

Booth considered the last week and sighed deeply. On all accounts he should be happy and he should be sleeping soundly. But he was neither happy nor well-rested despite the fact that his working relationship with Bones seemed to be getting back on track. They had spent the week working on a case. They had shared ideas over lunch, they had finished each other's sentences, and they had been able to combine her IQ with his gut effectively to create the perfect balance of knowledge just like they always had. Within 4 days the case was only a few hours of paperwork away from being closed.

It felt like them again. It felt amazing and natural and it gave him a reason to get out of bed in the morning despite his increasing exhaustion. He loved their friendly banter, he loved listening to her go on about some rational and logical argument. He shook his head purposefully as he admitted to himself that he also loved touching her whenever he could. He couldn't help himself. He couldn't stop his hand from resting on her lower back and guiding her out of rooms or from grazing her hand whenever he wanted to get her attention. He also couldn't control his pulse as it sped up every time she smiled at him or accidently brushed up against him.

He sighed again in a mixture of anger and annoyance all directed at himself. He was an army ranger sniper and FBI agent, one of the best in each respective professions. He had been trained to control himself in every possible way and his success had been a result of being able to perfect that skill. He had always prided himself on this self control...until he met Temperance Brennan.

Whenever he was around Bones, all of that self control, all of that training, went right out the window. As he thought back to the night before when he, Hannah and Bones had met for drinks at the Founding Fathers, he couldn't ignore his feeling of self loathing. It had been yet another example of how he was unable to control his reactions to his partner. When he had started dating Hannah he had believed that his control issues when it came to Bones, would no longer be a problem, that he would be able to reign in his automatic responses to her. If last night, though, was any indication, Temperance Brennan still had an unshakable hold over him. He just hoped that neither of the women had noticed. His jaw tightened as he recalled their evening out.

 _Booth was late because he had been waiting at the office on some research he had requested about the suspect's business accounts. While making his way from his parking space he stopped in front of the large windows of the pub and stared at the scene in front of him. Hannah and Bones were already there sitting at their own small table, Hannah sipping on a beer and Bones having her signature glass of red wine._

 _To any onlooker they would appear to be old friends. Both looked relaxed and both chatted and laughed merrily. Booth watched for a couple of minutes. He had known they would like each other. They were both strong, intelligent and independent women. They were so similar in so many ways and yet so completely different in others. Bones didn't tend to be this relaxed with new people or take the time to get to know someone, but he knew she was doing it for him…and he loved her for it._

 _At the same time it he was disappointed. He had always had such a difficult time watching her with other men, hell even a week before when he had thought that there was a man at her apartment he had gone a little crazy. But Bones seemed not to have any issue with him being with another woman. He knew he should be happy about that. He knew that he should take it as a sign that their friendship was back to normal. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. If he was honest with himself he would even admit that deep down he wanted her to feel a little jealousy. He wanted her to feel what he had felt for years when he saw her in relationships. He inwardly chastised himself for feeling that way. It shouldn't bother him if she didn't care that he was now with Hannah. But it did. He couldn't deny it. That was normal though, right? These feelings would fade with time. They had to. For everyone's sake, they had to._

 _For years he had dreamed of walking up to the Founding Fathers and seeing Bones sitting waiting for him after a long day. In his dream, they would share their frustrations and joys that life had brought them that day and after a couple of drinks they would head home to their shared place and fall asleep in each other's arms. Nowhere in that dream did another woman enter the picture. And yet here he stood seeing not only Bones waiting for him but his beautiful blond girlfriend as well._

 _He sighed. As a parent he always told Parker that dreams were important and that when you had one you should never let it go but instead do everything you could to realize it. But now he wasn't so sure that was sound advice. His own situation was evidence that sometimes you had to let go of dreams or you would go crazy. If a dream was as unrealistic as his dream was, dreams were unhealthy and prevented you from appreciating what reality had to offer you._

 _He had always been a dreamer and his father had always reminded him, especially after several scotches that dreaming would get him nowhere in this world. That people considered dreamers fools not visionaries. He told him that people would never take a dreamer seriously and that the young Booth would learn someday that dreamers were always the unhappiest of all because they were too stupid to realize that dreams never came true._

 _Seeley Booth had never taken any opinion his alcoholic and abusive father had offered him seriously especially when is pops' opinion was so different. His grandfather had always told him that his ability to dream was the thing he admired most about him and even said that he wished he could dream as big as his grandson. He had always agreed with his grandfather's opinion on dreaming, that is until that night outside of the Hoover Building when his dreams had been crushed._

 _He had looked like a fool that night. He had let his dream dictate his actions and in return Bones had thrown the reality he refused to see in his face. Remembering that night and looking at the two beautiful women through the window, he thought, just maybe, his father had been right. Dreams were for fools. The trick, as his father once told him, was learning how to accept reality and being as happy as possible with it. The thought that his father had been right made him incredibly sad._

 _Just as he finished his thought, Bones, who had been listening to Hannah until that point shifted her gaze directly to where he stood motionless in the window. It was as if she had sensed that he was there without even seeing him. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. He smiled tenderly at the thought and saw her smile back and she raise her hand in a small wave. Only then did Hannah notice him standing there. She enthusiastically waved him in._

 _When he arrived at the table Bones said a quick hello and as Booth leaned down to kiss Hannah, left the table for the bar. Booth sat down in the empty seat next to Hannah._

" _So how was your day?" Hannah asked._

" _Good. Productive. You?" Booth replied with forced enthusiasm._

" _Alright. Nothing exciting." Booth considered her lacklustre response. It didn't take an expert at body language to recognize the signs of boredom._

" _Nothing like a war zone, huh?" Booth replied knowingly. Hannah's head snapped up and she looked at Booth._

 _Bones returned at that moment with a round of drinks for everyone. She handed Hannah her beer and put down her own glass of wine and then passed Booth his typical scotch._

 _Booth looked at Bones and smiled. "Thanks, Bones." Brennan simply nodded._

" _Scotch? I thought you liked beer?"_

 _Without thinking Bones answered for Booth, "he does but at the end of a long work day he starts with a scotch, neat." She took a sip of her own drink and then looked at the two other people sitting around the table when she realized what she had just done. She saw Booth gently smiling at her while Hannah simply stared at her blankly. She blushed slightly and looked down to her own drink._

 _Much to her credit, Hannah recovered quickly and gracefully. She laughed lightly and turned to Booth, moving her hand to the back of his neck, running her fingers through the hair at his nape. She smiled and, leaning forward, kissed him on his cheek and said quietly, "I guess I still have a lot to learn." Booth held her gaze for a moment before he gently squeezed her knee reassuringly, a move that did not go unnoticed by Brennan who cringed inwardly at the innocent yet meaningful gesture. Booth took a sip from his drink and turned his attention back to Brennan._

" _So I got that info we were talking about earlier. I think we have what we need to put this guy away for a long time."_

 _Bones smiled. "Excellent. I'm glad we were right."_

" _Come on Bones, when are we ever wrong?" He asked and nudged her elbow with his own and gave her his best charm smile. They continued smiling at each other until Hannah cleared her throat and asked, "So, did you find out what time Parker's baseball game is this weekend?"_

 _Booth quickly broke eye contact with Brennan and took another sip of his drink trying to ignore the urge to continue focusing all of his attention on his partner. Come on Seeley...reality...focus on reality, he repeated in his head. "Oh, um yeah, it's at 3 on Saturday. Rebecca is going to drop him off on Friday night for the weekend."_

" _How are Rebecca and Captain Fantastic these days?" Brennan asked curiously._

 _Booth chuckled at her use of his nickname for Rebecca's boyfriend...wait check that, fiancé. "She's good. She's actually engaged to Captain Fantastic now. She seems happy."_

" _How does Parker feel about the engagement?" Brennan asked concerned._

 _He loved how she cared enough about Parker to ask how he was. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "He seems ok with it. He likes Brent. I mean he's Captain Fantastic, how could he not?" Booth replied a little bitterly._

 _Brennan hated how Booth allowed himself to feel threatened by Brent and the role he played in Parker's life. She placed her hand on his forearm and said gently, "Parker will never love Captain Fantastic as much as he loves you. He absolutely adores you Booth. And he knows how much you love him."_

 _She looked into his eyes with overwhelming warmth and Booth couldn't help but cover her hand with his own. He smiled warmly and his eyes transformed from dull and empty to dancing and sparkling. "Thanks, Temperance." Booth loved that, when it really mattered, Brennan always knew exactly what to say to make him feel better. He couldn't help but notice something flash in her eyes when he had called her by her first name but wasn't sure what it was. He didn't have any time to think about it either since he was suddenly distracted by the feeling of loss as she pulled her hand from under his own. He made a slight move to reclaim Brennan's hand as she was pulling it away but caught himself before he could._

 _He took another sip of his drink and turned to look at Hannah hoping that she hadn't noticed his slight movement. She was looking at him sadly but then lightened the mood with a story about one of her coworkers. Booth didn't hear much of the story or any of the other stories from the evening since he spent most of his time staring at the precise way that Bones was fingering the stem of her wine glass. It had always amazed him how even the simplest things about Bones fascinated him. He could have sat there for the whole night just watching her play with her wine glass and not get bored. He was finally snapped out of his musings by Bones announcing the time._

" _Well, it's getting late. I should get going." Bones finished off her last sip of wine and then stood and picked up her purse._

 _Booth stood and helped her with her coat. "We can give you ride home, Bones."_

" _Thanks, but I'm just going to grab a cab."_

" _Don't be silly Temperance. It's no trouble." Hannah offered her with a friendly smile as she too rose to dawn her own jacket._

" _No really, my place is the other way, but thank you." She straightened her jacket "Oh, and Booth, have you had a chance to get your tux yet?"_

" _Tux?" Hannah asked with a raised eyebrow._

" _Yeah, Bones here is getting an award in a couple of weeks. Some 'scientist of the year' award or something." Booth shot Brennan a smirk that confirmed he was trying to tease her._

 _Shaking her head, Bones directed her attention to Hannah. "The American Association of Anthropologists is honouring my contribution to the field."_

" _Wow! Congrats, Temperance! That is very impressive!"_

" _I know." Brennan replied matter-of-factly. Both Booth and Hannah laughed good naturedly. "You'll come too of course. It's in 2 weeks this Friday."_

" _Sure. I'd love to as long as Seeley doesn't mind." Both women had their full attention directed at Booth._

" _No, of course I don't mind. I was going to talk to you about it anyways." Hannah began to talk excitedly about what she was going to wear and Booth lost himself in his thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't want Hannah to come, it was just that events like this had become favourites of his. Normally he would hate them but he and Bones always had so much fun together and were able to entertain themselves despite how boring the event actually was. This would be the first time that they wouldn't be going together since they had become partners. It made him a little sad._

 _He felt Hannah wrap her arm around his middle effectively pulling him from his reverie._

" _Oooooooo, I love an excuse to get dressed up. Plus there's nothing sexier than a man in a tux." She squeezed Booth's waist and smoothed her hand down his tie._

 _Booth nervously laughed._

 _Brennan smiled tightly. "Yes, well, Booth, does look quite dapper in one." She smiled at both of them sweetly. "I'll see you tomorrow Booth, and Hannah it was very nice seeing you again."_

" _Same here, Temperance." Hannah said sincerely._

" _See ya later Bones." Booth gently added as Brennan turned to leave. He couldn't help but feel disappointed that he had to say goodbye to Brennan in the bar rather than outside of her apartment like he always had. Most of the time, even after that goodbye, Bones would invite him up for a cup of coffee and the conversations that usually followed were some of his favourites._

" _Ready?"_

 _Booth looked down at Hannah. Trying to push the dream from his mind he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards the exit in answer to her question._

As he drove back to his apartment, Booth was angry mostly at himself but also a little at life in general too. He had promised himself after that night that he would make a concerted effort to control not only his feelings but his reactions to Bones and focus more of his attention on Hannah but tonight he had made a purposeful decision to do the exact opposite.

Booth hit his steering wheel in frustration. His grip on the wheel tightened as he recalled his decision to break a date with Hannah to do paperwork with Bones. At the time he had justified the decision by arguing that paperwork was work related and that no amount of entertainment should distract him from his duty as an FBI agent.

His anger towards himself had begun when he had told Hannah that he had to cancel on her and now had to admit to himself that his excitement to spend the evening with Bones far outweighed his real disappointment at the lost evening with Hannah.

Bones had assured him that she could finish the paperwork herself but he hadn't even considered not helping her even though he knew she was right. He had rationalized the decision by saying that he was doing it for the good of his partnership with Bones but deep down he was afraid that the real reason for his decision was that he would rather spend the time with Bones working then with Hannah relaxing.

His self-loathing only increased as he admitted to himself that he had really enjoyed himself tonight. He loved spending time with Bones no matter what they were doing. They were just so relaxed around each other, the way they had been before the dreaded conversation outside the Hoover Building.

He also couldn't believe that after 6 years, she could still take is breath away with her beauty. She had worn simple yoga pants and a zip-up hoodie. Her face was make up-free making her look fresh and youthful with her hair tied back in a low ponytail. She was absolutely gorgeous. There were many times throughout the evening when he had to rip his eyes away from her before she realized that he was ogling her.

They had eaten the Thai take-out he had brought, had a couple of drinks and finished most of the paper work in between the gentle ribbing and teasing that characterized their relationship. The whole evening had felt amazing, it had felt right and he loved every minute of it and could tell that she had enjoyed herself too.

He had hated when the evening had come to an end. She had walked him to the door and smiled gently when he had told her that she was the only person that he knew that could make paperwork fun. He had impulsively pulled her into a hug. It started innocently enough until the hand that had been rubbing her back made contact with the thin sliver of skin between the bottom of her hoodie and the top of her yoga pants. He hadn't been able to pull it away and he had practically stopped breathing when her hand had moved up and her fingers had caressed the hair on the back of his neck. He had closed his eyes in an attempt to savour the moment. He couldn't understand how even the simplest touches from Bones had always set his pulse racing. He couldn't deny the feeling that if he could stay wrapped in his partner's arms for the rest of his life, he would be happy, truly happy.

Then he had thought of Hannah...and guilt and anger had overtaken him. He shouldn't be feeling like this. He was indulging a dream that would never come true and ignoring the significance of his reality. Hannah deserved more from him than this. He should be thinking of her, he should be rushing out the door to spend the night with his girlfriend not wasting time pretending that a simple hug shared between friends meant more than it actually did. With that, he had pulled away and made a quick exit before Bones had even been able to say goodnight.

A deep yawn brought him out of his thoughts and reminded him that his sleeping issues still hadn't improved. In fact his issues with Hannah had kept him tossing and turning for hours on end the past week. He sighed deeply.

He thought of his relationship with Hannah. It was clear that she was getting impatient with him and he didn't blame her. She had asked him again this week about moving in together and he had panicked...again. He had quickly and skilfully deflected the conversation with a joke but he could tell that it had annoyed her. Moving in together was the next logical step and he couldn't blame her for wanting to take it. But he wasn't sure if he was ready to take that step. It wouldn't be fair to Hannah to take it until he was able to commit to his new reality wholeheartedly and tonight was evidence enough that he still wasn't able to do that. He didn't know what to do.

He was so pissed at himself. He just didn't know what was wrong with him. He should be over-the-moon in love with her. Hannah was everything that he had always said he was looking for in a woman so he didn't understand why, after being with her for over 6 months, he wasn't head-over-heels-in-love with her. No matter how often he told himself to just be patient, that it was inevitable that his feelings for Hannah would intensify and his feelings for Bones would dissipate, he was just getting more and more frustrated with his inability to give her what she deserved: his undying love and commitment and to let go of the dream he had always held about Bones.

He pulled his SUV into his parking spot outside of his building. Grabbed is wallet from the console and strode up to his apartment fully anticipating yet another unsatisfying night of sleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Hannah's Horrible Idea

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 8: Hannah's Horrible Idea

It had been a long day at work. Booth had been buried under a pile of paperwork all day. He hadn't heard from Bones at all either which was making his mood especially stormy. He tried to remind himself that he had no reason to expect that he would hear from her since they had no open case right now.

He sighed. Before the night outside of the Hoover, they would talk on a regular basis, they would invite each other out for lunch or drop by the other's office when they were out. They would often phone each other in the evenings if they hadn't seen or talked to each other throughout the day. He missed not giving it a second thought about dropping by the lab for a visit or picking up the phone for a chat.

Things between them had definitely gotten better since their talk but they still had a long way to go to get back to where they had been before they had left. He found himself increasingly annoyed that he was constantly longing for a call telling him a dead body had been found because that would guarantee that he would have an excuse to be around her for the following few days. The dry spells between murders seemed excruciatingly long, especially on days like today when he felt like a glorified paper weight.

All he had wanted to do when he got home was throw on some sweats, order a pizza, pop open a beer and watch the ballgame and call Bones because she always had a way of cheering him up without even knowing it. But when he had cancelled on Hannah the night before, he had promised to make it up to her tonight by cooking her supper. Booth sighed and set to work preparing the meal.

Dinner had been tasty, Hannah had even said so, and the conversation had been light hearted until Hannah had casually asked how the paperwork from the night before had gone with Temperance.

"Oh, it went well. We got it finished. Another case closed." Booth smiled at her and raised his glass as if to cheers and then took a sip of his wine.

Hannah smiled back at him. "Temperance must have appreciated the help."

"Yeah, well you know how tedious paper work can be." Booth avoided looking Hannah directly in the eyes for fear that she might see how non-tedious paperwork was with Temperance Brennan.

"I think Temperance works too much, you know? She needs to take a break and relax a little."

Booth laughed. "Bones isn't one to...take a break."

Hannah laid her fork down on her plate and focused all of her attention on her boyfriend. Booth looked up when he realized that she was staring at him.

"What?" He asked through a mouthful of food.

Hannah smiled and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief. Booth didn't know what was on her mind but he was sure that he wouldn't like it.

"Well," she started, "There is this political correspondent that I work with. He's great, intelligent..."

"No." Booth didn't even let her finish "No way."

"...he's funny, VERY attractive. I think she would really like him."

"Hannah, no!" Booth cried exasperated.

Hannah was taken aback by the force of is reply.

Booth sighed, closed his eyes and made an attempt to calm and soften his tone. "Hannah, no. It's not a good idea. Bones and I don't...do those types of things." He knew he was being selfish but he hated the thought of Bones out on a date with someone else...wait no he didn't mean that, he meant, he didn't like the idea of her out with some stranger.

Hannah laughed. "Oh come on Seeley. Even brilliant scientists get lonely. Haven't you noticed the sadness in her eyes? I think meeting someone new, you know, a good guy might be just the thing she needs."

Booth rolled his eyes. "And how do you know he's a good guy? He might be a serial killer or something."

"Oh god, Seeley. He's not a serial killer! Besides," Hannah reached across the table and took his hand in her own. "I've been told that I have pretty good taste in men." She finished playfully.

Booth squeezed her hand gently and smiled. "Listen, I know your heart is in the right place but I don't think it's a good idea. I mean, Bones is not your average woman. She deserves a guy that will appreciate her...idiosyncrasies and who will treat her the way she deserves to be treated. She needs someone who can recognize how special she really is. I don't feel good about just setting her up with some random guy." He kept eating and avoiding eye contact.

"But Seeley..." Hannah tried one more time.

"Hannah, just drop it ok? It's not a good idea." Booth interrupted her again with more authority this time.

"Alright. We'll drop it...for now."

Booth's eyes shot up to seek hers and couldn't ignore the demure smirk on his girlfriend's face. He let out an exasperated sigh. The last thing he needed was for his girlfriend to be setting his partner up on a date. As he finished his meal, he thought that maybe he would get lucky and Hannah would just forget the whole thing. He should have known better.

:P :P :P :P

Booth watched as Bones walked towards the diner accompanied by her best friend. Angela said something to make her laugh and he couldn't help the smile that spread across his own face at the scene. He just couldn't help it. He loved seeing her laugh. She didn't laugh often which meant that when she did you knew it was genuine. The only thing he liked more than seeing her laugh was being the person making her laugh.

As Bones approached she saw Booth sitting at their table and she waved. Booth's smile broadened as he waved back and then the ensuing anger at himself engulfed him for another missed opportunity to practice his self control.

"Hello ladies." Booth greeted the women as they reached the table.

"Where's Hannah, Booth?" Brennan asked.

"Oh, she must just be running a little late. Ange, this is a pleasant surprise."

"Well, Angela hadn't eaten yet so..."

"No no, Bones" dismissing her explanation with a wave of his hand. "I'm glad you're here Ange." Booth smiled charmingly at the artist.

"Thanks Agent Studly." Angela laughed as she took her seat beside Brennan and across from the empty chair beside Booth.

Brennan inwardly sighed with relief when she hadn't had to explain the real reason for her invitation to Angela. Seeing Booth and Hannah together had become increasingly difficult. She had believed that perhaps things between her and Booth would get easier with time but that was not the case. It was becoming more and more difficult to ignore and hide the longing she had for him. She thought Angela might serve as some sort of distraction.

"Hey everybody!" Hannah happily joined the group. She gave Booth a quick kiss and then settled herself in the seat next to her boyfriend.

"Hi Hannah. It's good to see you again."

Hannah smiled. "You too Temperance. And Angela, how have you been?"

"Great, thanks. I love that purse by the way."

"Thank you. It's one of my favourites."

The waitress came to the table ready to take their order. "Hi everyone, are you guys ready to order?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Um, I think so..." Booth started.

"Actually, can we have a few more minutes we're waiting on one more."

The waitress left promising to return in a little bit.

Booth turned to Hannah. "Who are we waiting for?"

Hannah avoided making eye contact with him and instead studied the menu intensely.

Booth was getting an uneasy feeling. "Hannah?"

Without looking up she said, "Just a colleague. He was going to be in the area anyways covering a story so I told him to meet us here."

Booth took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "He wouldn't happen to be a certain political correspondent, would he?"

Hannah watched Booth out of the corner of her eye. "Well, actually..."

Booth let out the breath that he had been holding. "Hannah! I told you I didn't want you to do this."

"No you said you weren't comfortable with it because you didn't know him...well now you can meet him too."

Angela and Brennan just kept exchanging confused looks.

"Ok, what are we missing here?" Angela asked.

Hannah now turned her full attention to the two women on the other side of the table and excitedly started her explanation.

"Well..."

"I don't believe this." Booth mumbled rubbing his hands over his face.

Brennan couldn't mistake his discomfort.

"Seeley and I were talking..."

Booth snapped his head sideways to look at is girlfriend. "No no no. Seeley is not a part of this. In fact, if you remember, Seeley was strongly against this. Seeley explicitly remembers telling you that he did not want you to pursue this."

"Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?" Brennan interjected. Angela laughed while Booth and Hannah both looked at her quickly and then carried on with their own discussion not bothering to give her an answer.

"When you meet him you'll change your mind." Hannah implored.

Booth snorted. "Not likely."

Brennan looked confused. "I don't understand what's happening right now." She turned to Angela. "Do you know what's upsetting Booth?"

Angela just shook her head while she tried to hide the smile with her hand. She wasn't sure but she thought she knew where this was going. There were only a few things that would get Booth this worked up and she was enjoying the show.

"Temperance," Brennan turned her attention back to Hannah. "I want to set you up with a guy from work."

Bingo, thought Angela.

"And there it is!" Booth threw his hands up in the air and shook his head.

Brennan watched as Booth's level of discomfort increased with every second and couldn't understand why he was refusing to look at her.

She looked over to Angela who was smirking and watching Booth also. He was now massaging the back of his own neck and his jaw was definitely clenched, two signs that he was not happy with what was happening. Without taking her eyes off of the FBI agent Angela said, "Hannah I think that's a great idea! Come on Bren, it's been a while since you've gone out with someone."

If steam could have come out of Booth's ears it would have at that moment. How could Angela be encouraging this? Then his thought shifted to Angela's last comment. How long had it been since she dated someone? He suppressed the urge to ask his question out loud. He had to try and control his emotions. He could feel all the eyes on him especially Angela's who would most definitely dissect every flinch and tick that he would be unable to control.

He finally had the courage to look at Brennan who seemed to be as uncomfortable about this situation as he was and was now avoiding looking at him.

"Listen Bones, I told her it wasn't a good idea…"

At that moment the bell above the door marked the entrance of a tall, handsome man wearing perfectly fitted jeans, a faded sports t-shirt and a sexy cargo jacket with a laptop case slung over his shoulder. He had an athletic build and perfectly mussed up brown hair with a little bit of a scruff as facial hair. Quite attractive by anthropological standards, Brennan thought. He was standing at the door seemingly scanning the lunch crowd for a familiar face.

Hannah stood up. "Michael! Over here." She waved.

He looked over and smiled and walked towards the group. Angela didn't miss the death stare that Booth first sent to his girlfriend and then to the new arrival. He was just unbelievable. She was getting tired of watching the dance between her best friend and this man who was obviously in love with her but wouldn't admit it. Since just before the two had left for a year she had noticed that there was definitely a strange energy between the partners. The tension seemed to be getting worse. Booth looked like he was ready to kill someone and Bren continued to avoid eye contact with anyone.

"Michael, pull up a chair to the end of the table."

"Sorry I'm late. The interview went a little longer than it was supposed to." He pulled up his chair and sat down effectively putting himself between Booth and Brannan.

"No worries, let me make some introductions." She looked to Booth. "This is my boyfriend, Seeley Booth. Seeley, this is Michael Cooke."

" **FBI Special Agent** Seeley Booth." He took the hand that Michael was offering him and shook it firmly.

The journalist laughed nervously. "Nice to meet you. Hannah has told me a lot about you."

"Did she tell you I'm a trained sniper?" Booth asked him seriously.

Angela looked at Michael's shocked expression and couldn't help but laugh while Hannah and Brennan simultaneously reprimanded him with 'Seeley' and 'Booth' respectively.

"Don't mind him. This is Angela Montenegro-Hodgins. She's a facial reconstruction artist with the Jeffersonian. And this…" She smiled at her boyfriend's partner. "is Temperance Brannan."

Michael smiled at Brannan and offered his hand to her. "I have heard a lot about you too."

"She's my partner." Booth leaned forward effectively allowing his jacket to gape open and giving Michael a full view of his gun in this shoulder holster.

Michael took in the gun and then turned back to Brennan. "I see, and are you a trained sniper too?" He asked teasingly.

"No, but I am a good shot." Brennan replied seriously not realizing that the question was meant only as a joke.

Michael laughed gently. "I'll be sure to remember that."

Angela couldn't help but love how Booth was sitting there pouting like a little child. He did not like what was happening and he was making that clear even to Hannah who kept staring at him with a concerned look on her face.

Brennan and Michael chatted for a few more minutes while everyone else sat silently watching and listening with interest, each with their own reasons for doing so. Brennan thought that Michael did seem genuinely interesting. Maybe Hannah and Angela were right. It had been a long time since she had gone out with anyone. Maybe this would help her get past these feelings for Booth. At least it might distract her.

"Listen, I have to run. I have to get my story in before deadline but did you want to grab something to eat later?"

Angela playfully nudged her knee with her own. Booth looked like he was ready to hit Michael for even suggesting it while Hannah looked very excited by the prospect of dinner.

She had to do this for her own sanity. "Sure. I'd like that."

Booth leaned forward and out of the side of his mouth hissed as if Michael couldn't hear him, "Bones, how much do you know about this guy?"

Brennan had a sudden flash of anger. Who was Booth to tell her who she could see? She couldn't spend the rest of her life pining after him. She wouldn't survive it. She was finding it difficult to compartmentalize her feelings as she once had. The flood gates had opened and she didn't know how to close them. Perhaps this was her chance to get back the control over this entire situation. She refused to let him deny her this opportunity.

Booth knew he was in trouble when he saw the determination flash in her eyes. Without taking her eyes off of her partner, Brennan responded, "I'll be done work around 6."

Booth huffed and murmured, "unbelievable".

Angela, seeing an opportunity, chimed in with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "you know Booth, since you're so worried, why don't the four of you go out together? Like a double date?"

Booth's jaw dropped. The only thing worse than Bones going on a date with someone else was having to be on that date with her and the other guy.

"No way." He said emphatically shaking his head.

"I think that is a great idea Angela." Hannah replied ignoring the desperate look her boyfriend was sending her way.

Brennan didn't like this idea either. It meant she would have to watch Booth on a date with Hannah. How could the flood gates be closed if the gates weren't even attached? Just as she was about to object to the idea Michael broke in.

"Alright, it's a double date! I'll leave the planning to the three of you and Hannah do you mind texting me later with the details?"

"No problem." The happy blond replied.

"Um...Mike, was that Cooke with and 'e' or without?" Booth had reached into is breast pocket to retrieve his small pad of paper and had is pencil poised and was now waiting for a reply to is question.

"Oh, uh, with an 'e'."

Booth quickly jotted something down in the notebook and put it away, ignoring Brennan's glare and Hannah's shocked expression. Michael quickly recovered and turned to Angela and Brennan.

"Angela, it was very nice to meet you and Temperance," he said taking her hand in his, "I'm looking forward to tonight."

"Me too." Brennan replied. With that, the handsome journalist left.

"So, are we ready to order?" Angela asked innocently.

"You know what, I think I've lost my appetite. I have a meeting with Cullen in 45 minutes anyways. I should get back." Booth pouted.

"Seeley you haven't even eaten yet." Hannah reasoned.

"I'll pick something up on the way." He stood to leave.

"Fine. I'll text you later with the details for tonight."

"Great. I can't wait." He said with fake enthusiasm and made his way out the door without so much as one glance in Brennan's direction.

"Well that went well." Hannah said excitedly as she examined the menu.

"Yes, very well." Added Brennan without looking at either of her friends.

"Yes indeed." Angela said with a smirk. She really liked Hannah, but she had been a Booth and Brennan shipper since the beginning. They belonged together and it was about time that Booth and Brennan stopped dancing around each other and got their act together. She had a feeling that each seeing the other on a date with someone else was all the push they needed to get things back on track.


	9. Chapter 9: The Double Date

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 9: The Double Date

Booth had seen Hannah and Michael through the window of the small Italian restaurant as he drove up. Bones must be running a little late. With any hope, she would forget about the whole thing and stand Mr. Politics up. He had hoped to discover something about him when he did the background check but unfortunately the guy didn't even have a speeding ticket. This would be so much easier if he was just an asshole.

He didn't want to be here. He was so angry at Hannah for making him be here. He sighed. He knew that his anger should not be directed at his girlfriend. She hadn't done anything to deserve it. He was actually angry at himself. Here he was again unable to control his emotions.

Hannah had said she had recognized a loneliness, a sadness in Bones' eyes. If that was actually how Bones was feeling, why hadn't he picked up on it? When had he and Bones' relationship gotten so bad that he was unable to see exactly how his best friend was feeling? How had he let it get this far? Who was he to stand in the way of something that might make Bones happy? Since when was his partner's happiness no longer important enough to endure a little discomfort? He was so tired of this. He felt like he had no control over his emotions. He knew he was acting this way and feeling this way because the prospect of Bones in a relationship that made her happy pissed him off and made him insanely jealous. Why had she agreed to date this loser but she wouldn't even entertain the notion of taking a chance on him?

Trying to silence all the questions swirling in his head, Booth took a deep breath and exited his SUV and entered the restaurant.

"Hi, Seeley." Booth was greeted by Hannah with a quick kiss.

"Hey." He replied sitting down. "Mike." Booth acknowledged the reporter sitting across from him.

Michael nodded back.

"How was your day?" Hannah asked rubbing his shoulders.

"Alright. I got a lot of paperwork done and my meeting with Cullen went relatively well. He spent most of the time..." Booth lost his ability to speak when he saw Brennan walk in the door.

She must have gone home to change because she certainly didn't look like she had just walked off the forensic platform. She was wearing a very sexy knee-length navy blue shirt dress with a large black belt just above the waist. Enough buttons had been left undone at the top and bottom to give a tantalizing view of both her cleavage and her thigh. She was carrying a black faux snake skin clutch and sporting a matching pair of 4 inch black snake skin peek-a-boo pumps. Her hair was down and straightened and her makeup was a little darker then it usually was. She was stunning and sexy as all hell.

As she walked towards him, Booth forgot that he wasn't alone and also forgot the reason why he was there. It was only when Michael got up to greet her that he realized his mistake. She wasn't there to see him. She hadn't gotten ready for the evening with him in mind. He looked away as Michael kissed her cheek and told her how amazing she looked. He didn't know how he was going to get through this night.

When she walked in, Brennan had seen Booth's reaction to the way she looked and she'd be lying if she said she didn't love the way his eyes had darkened when he had seen her. But her logical mind quickly reminded her that that reaction was the typical reaction of any alpha male when they saw a beautiful woman.

But as she walked towards him her heart forgot who she was there to meet, that was until she saw Hannah reach down and placed her hand on her partner's inner thigh. Reality hit her hard in that moment. Who was she kidding? If she was honest with herself she would admit that tonight she had dressed with Booth in mind. She had gotten ready trying to think of what Booth might like to see her in not Michael and now she felt foolish.

Seeing Hannah's simple touch reminded her of a level of intimacy that she would never share with him. Michael stood up, not Booth, to greet her and as Michael kissed her cheek she closed her eyes so that no one would see the disappointment that she was sure was there. The way Booth had looked at her when she had walked in...it had meant nothing. He was with Hannah. He loved Hannah.

She took her seat across from the beautiful blond. "You look gorgeous Temperance!" Hannah gushed. "Doesn't she, Seeley?"

After quickly looking over to Hannah, his eyes locked on Brennan's. "Yeah, she really does."

They broke eye contact when the waiter came to take their drink orders.

:P:P:P:P:P

Booth got into his SUV and started the engine. He had just dropped Hannah off at the hotel she was calling home. He knew she wanted to go home with him but he just couldn't face sharing his bed with her tonight.

He rested is hand on the gear shift, closed his eyes and sighed deeply. What the hell was he doing? How did he get here? He didn't even know how to explain how he felt. No, that wasn't true. He knew exactly how he felt. He was angry. He was pissed beyond reason. He just didn't understand his anger. The anger wasn't just directed at one specific person either. 

He was pissed at Hannah for setting up his partner on a date. He was pissed at Mr. Politics for looking at and touching Bones the way he had tonight. He gripped the steering wheel more tightly in an effort to stay sane. He took in a choked breath as he envisioned Bones' sweet smile, her gentle touches, and her deep laugh, all of which had been directed at a man she barely knew. And that made his blood boil. Yes, he was pissed at his girlfriend and the loser she had set his partner up with but nothing compared to the anger he felt towards Dr. Temperance Brennan. He thought back to the dreaded double date.

It had been hell. Every time 'Mr. Politics' had smiled at her...Every time he had touched her hand while leaning in and whispering something in her ear...Every time he caught him ogling her...He felt physically ill. But worse, was the feeling he had when she returned his smiles with one of her own, laughed at whatever he had whispered in her ear, did nothing to dissuade his ogling. ...And having to watch them leave together at the end of the night was worse of all.

He hated feeling this way. He had felt it before. It was the same feeling he had had every time she had dated some guy...The deep sea welder, Gay Jason, Hacker, Sully...god, Sully...He had been terrified that she was going to sail away with him. He hadn't been able to name the feeling in the past but he knew what it was then and what it still was. He was jealous, unbelievably and undeniably jealous. He hadn't been able to help it, he still couldn't. How did she keep doing this to him?

She had made it clear that fateful night that she didn't want him or any of what he had offered. She didn't want to take a chance on him. On them. Yet tonight it certainly seemed like she was willing to give it a shot with some stranger she didn't even know. She claimed that she lacked an open heart, that she was incapable of having a real relationship. She had said she couldn't change but he had never asked her to. All he had wanted was for their relationship to stay the same with the added bonus of what he had seen in her tonight, what he always saw in her.

She was gorgeous, intelligent, playful, funny, sincere, and vulnerable but at the same time passionate about what she believed to be right and true...She was perfect...for him. As the night wore on all he had wanted was to switch chairs with 'Mr. Politics'. He didn't even know how lucky he was. What did Michael Cooke, with an 'e' have that he didn't? Why wasn't he enough for her? In that moment he was back in front of the Hoover building, experiencing her rejection all over again. He couldn't live like this anymore. He could feel the tears threatening to fall. This overwhelming heart ache had been why he had left for Afghanistan, why he had **tried** to move on with Hannah...no he meant why he **had** moved on with Hannah, not tried, he reminded himself.

 _There's a difference between saying you're moving on and actually moving on._ He remembered Sweets' words.

He let out a bitter laugh. Right. Who was he trying to fool?

He had to be honest with himself. He had started his relationship with Hannah with undeniable emotional baggage hoping that time and Hannah would help him shed it. However this hadn't happened. He had left DC broken hearted but still in love with Temperance Brennan despite her rejection. He had perhaps come back with his heart slightly mended but he could admit now that he had come back much the same way he had left except that he had returned with Hannah on his arm hoping that she would be the key to his moving on. He had seriously wanted to move on. He had found a woman in Hannah that was worth moving on for. He had told himself and everyone else that he had moved on.

He wiped the tears from his face and sighed deeply.

If tonight had taught him anything it was that he couldn't lie to himself or to Hannah anymore. Bones may not feel the same about him but he couldn't use that as an excuse to deny his own feelings. Instead of dealing with the pain of his broken heart he had tried to distract himself from it and it had failed miserably as shown tonight.

He understood that Bones would never love him, she had made that clear before she left for Muluku and by her actions since they had been back, but he could no longer deny that he was still in love with her and he knew that as long as that was the case he couldn't be with another woman. It wasn't fair to her. Being with Hannah when he knew he was still in love with Bones was selfish. She deserved more than he could offer her. She had been so patient until now but he couldn't ask her to wait for him to truly move on when he knew that he never could.

The wound from that night outside the Hoover was still fresh. Bones probably had no idea that her rejection had destroyed him. He was in love with Temperance Brennan. He had never felt something so intense. That's why he had been so terrified to gamble on them. He was confident in his own feelings for her but what would happen the morning she woke up and realized that she was way too good for him? He would lose her forever. He sighed heavily. He really had so much to lose that night...and boy had he lost. She didn't need to wake up one morning...she already knew she was out of his league.

Up until that point he had been able to fool himself into thinking that it was only a matter of time before something would happen between them. That she really did love him but that she just had yet to realize it. That their journeys, although along different paths, would both end up bringing them to the same place. He hadn't imagined a future without her since the moment he had met her. The first time he had laid eyes on her something in him had told him that they were destined to be together. This belief became a part of who he was, a part of who he knew he would become. He made decisions based on that belief. He had turned down promotions to stay her partner. He had always put her needs above his own. That night she had done more than just reject his advances, she had forced him to face a brutal reality of a future without her. She had forced him to realize that this love he had for her was and always would be unrequited. Yes, he had taken the biggest gamble of his life and he had lost bigger than he ever had before.

He pulled out is wallet and took out the folded photograph that had been in there since the day after Bones had been rescued from the gravedigger's underground death trap. It was a picture of Bones and Parker taken at the lab while they were engaged in a lively discussion about dinosaurs. He sighed. They were the two most important people in his life.

He had no choice. He would spend the rest of his life alone, pining after the woman he loved because marriage with a woman he was better off just being friends with wasn't an option. Bones was 'the one' for him and it was time to stop trying to deny it. Denying it was making him crazy. He was sure that it was the cause of his exhaustion and his inner turmoil. He may feel damaged and broken but he would rather feel like that then feel numb which is how he had felt since he had started seeing Hannah.

Denying his true feelings had made the situation worse. Not only was he hurting just as much as he had been that night outside of the Hoover but he had hurt Hannah in the process while practically destroying any chance he had to have any type of friendship with Bones. He had ignored his heart for far too long. It was time to take his own advice. It was time to put is head in neutral and pop the heart into overdrive no matter how badly it hurt. It was the only way he would come out of this in one piece. There was no avoiding reality.

He put the photo back in his wallet, wiped his tears away, took a deep breath and put the car in drive. He decided that tomorrow he would start the process of rebuilding his life. He knew that the first thing he would have to do was talk to Hannah. He couldn't waste anymore of her time and in the process hurt her even more than he already had. She was amazing and deserved to be happy.

As he headed home, for the first time in months he felt like he was finally ready to put himself back together. It would be a tedious process but maybe with some luck he would finally get himself to a place where he could at least be the partner and friend that Bones deserved. He may never be anything more than that to her but at least he would be there for her in whatever capacity she allowed him to be. She had to know she could count on him no matter what. She had taken his heart over a bottle of tequila years ago and there was no getting it back now. Rather than denying it any longer he had to figure out a way to deal with it.


	10. Chapter 10:Angela's Daily Dose of Gossip

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 10: Angela's Daily Dose of Gossip

Brennan had been at work since 7 am but had gotten little work done. It was difficult to concentrate on tasks when all she could do was replay the events of the previous night in her head. She took a deep breath and re-read for the fifth time the second paragraph of a journal article she was supposed to be critiquing. It was now 8:30 and people were starting to filter in the building so she wasn't surprised that at 8:34 Angela entered and flopped down in the chair in front of her desk.

Without looking up from the article Brennan greeted her best friend. "Good morning Ange."

"How good of a morning is it?" she asked smirking like a kid ready to get her daily dose of gossip. She had been dying to know about Brennan's double date the night before and in particular she couldn't wait to hear about Booth's behaviour on the date.

Brennan looked up briefly before looking back down to her work. "It's a fine morning. I got here early and am presently trying to get some work done." She replied dismissively.

Oh no, Angela was not going to let her off the hook that easily. "Come on Bren! Don't even try to avoid telling me about last night. I am dying to know! How was it? Do you like Michael? What about Booth, did he like him or did a fist fight break out between the two boys?" she laughed.

Brennan closed her eyes. She couldn't relive last night. It had been awful. To watch Booth and Hannah interact like a couple had made her pain even more palpable. It had just reminded her of what she would never have…and that was Booth. Michael was nice but she caught herself all night comparing him to her partner, and what annoyed her the most was that Michael always seemed to come out on the losing side of the comparison.

She sighed. Booth had once told her that, for him, she was the standard and now she knew what he meant. She didn't know if she would ever find a man that would ever compare to Seeley Booth, and that realization made her even more sad and angry at herself for missing her opportunity to be with him. She felt the tears starting to well and she took in a deep breath to steady herself. "Ange, I have a lot of work to get done. Can we talk about this later?" Brennan, avoiding eye contact, pleaded with her best friend having no real intention to follow through on her offer.

Angela leaned back in the chair and took in Temperance Brennan. There had always been a spark about her, a certain energy, a determination. It was the thing that she loved most about her. Now looking at the forensic anthropologist, she looked tired, and not a good tired from a hot night with a certain political analyst but the kind of tired that was the result of ongoing stress and sadness. She looked broken. She was not the same woman that she had grown to love. She had noticed that Bren was different since before she left for Maluku but she thought it was just something she would work through on her own like she always did. But this woman sitting in front of her was almost a shell of her former self. She knew it had to have something to do with Booth but wasn't sure what exactly had happened.

She had asked Brennan what was going on before but Brennan had refused to tell her and Angela had let it slide thinking that she would talk to her when she was ready. But, looking at Bren now, she knew that she would have to push her for her own good because this couldn't continue much longer.

Brennan breathed a sigh of relief as Angela got up and headed for the door. She had dodged the conversation again, thankfully. But her relief was short lived when she saw Angela close the door and walk back towards her, grabbed her hand and led her to the couch.

"Angela..." She whined as she was pushed down onto the couch by the artist.

"Bren I can't do it anymore. I can't watch you fade away like this. Something is going on with you and I want to know what it is."

Brennan refused to make eye contact with Angela when she muttered, "I'm fine."

Angela reached out and took her hand and said gently, "Sweetie, You're not fine. You haven't been yourself since before you left for Maluku. Something happened. What is it?"

Brennan took a deep breath but remained silent.

"Bren, I love you and I care about you and I hate seeing you like this. You have to talk about it. I see you slowly dying inside and I want to help but there's nothing I can do unless you talk to me."

Brennan looked up with tear filled eyes.

Angela moved her free hand to rub her friend's back. "Please. It's killing me to see you like this."

Brennan just stared at her friend. Angela was right. She had been keeping this to herself for far too long. Normally when she was confused or upset she would talk to Booth about it and he would help her through it. But she couldn't talk to him about this. How could she? She felt the emotion bubbling up and knew there was no controlling it. The tears began to fall freely quickly followed by full on sobs. Angela began to cry herself and moved to take her friend in her arms. She had never seen the always controlled Temperance Brennan like this before and it scared her. They stayed in each others arms for a long while. Angela softly rubbed her back helping her calm down.

When Brennan had clamed down enough to breathe normally, she wiped away the tears that were still falling. "I'm being irrational."

"Good! Sweetie you are a human being. You're not supposed to be rational all the time. There are just some things...and some people," she added knowingly "that we aren't supposed to be rational about."

Brennan didn't look convinced. "I have always sought refuge in rationality, Angela. I don't know how to deal with things without it."

"Well, let me help you. Talk to me about these irrational thoughts and we'll figure it out together." Angela said soothingly.

Brennan gently pulled herself away from her best friend, stood and walked to her desk and leaned on the corner of it. She folded her arms across her chest. Angela waited patiently.

Brennan ran her hands through her hair. "I made a mistake. I have never believed in regrets. They are, in my opinion, irrational and serve no purpose...but...recently I have discovered that just because there is a lack of belief about something...it doesn't make that something any less real."

Angela looked at Brennan not quite sure what she was trying to say. "Sweetie, you're going to have to give me a little more than that."

"I made a mistake." Brennan replied flatly. "And I can't ignore the overwhelming regret I have because of it. The regret gets more intense everyday and I have started resenting the person I am and the life I have because I feel like if I wasn't the way am I might not have made the same mistake...that I might have made another decision if I had been someone else."

Angela nodded encouragingly. "Ok. What kind of mistake did you make? Maybe it can be fixed."

"No, Ange. It can't be fixed. It's too late. I've accepted that. I just don't know how to live with this regret."

"Tell me what happened, Bren."

Brennan gently shook her head. What could it hurt? Without looking at the artist on the couch she simply and quietly said, "It's Booth."

Angela took no joy in finding out that she had been right all along. She sighed and nodded her head.

"So he told you he wanted a relationship with you?"

Brennan's eyes snapped to her best friend's in shock. She nodded slightly.

"And you turned him down."

Again shocked she nodded again.

"Don't look so shocked, Sweetie. I knew it was only a matter of time before he finally admitted it. That man has been crazy about you for years...and you can deny it all you want but I know you've felt the same about him. What happened?"

Brennan wasn't exactly sure why Angela was saying these things to her. They certainly weren't making her feel any better. Her vision got blurry once again as tears threatened to fall.

"Oh Sweetie..." Angela breathed. The regret was written all over Brennan's face.

Brennan took a moment to compose herself and to collect her thoughts but before she could, the words began tumbling out of mouth uncontrollably. "He is the most important thing in my life, Ange. I can't imagine my life without him in it. But when he proposed a relationship I was so scared he would realize that I wasn't enough for him and he would walk away and I would never see him again. When that happened I knew…I knew I couldn't...I wouldn't survive it. It was too big of a risk. He said he wanted to gamble on us, to take a chance. I couldn't gamble on him. As Booth would say, the stakes were too high. I thought I was making the right decision." She closed her eyes and the tears began again.

Angela rose and went to Brennan's side. She was afraid that Booth would leave her when she let him fully in...just like everyone else she knew had. Angela hated how traumas from the past could skew a person's perception. "And now?"

Brennan tucked her hair behind her ear and then looked Angela directly in the eyes. "There was one night about a month after arriving in Maluku, I was alone, out under the stars and all I could think of was how much I wished that Booth was there with me. I missed him more than I thought possible and that's when I realized that there was only one thing that terrifies me more than my feelings for him and that's missing out on my one chance to be truly happy no matter how long it would last. I should have gambled, Ange. When it ended it would have crushed my heart but at least I would have had the time we had together to hold onto. Now I have the heart crushing ache without any of the memories."

"You were going to tell him how you felt when you got back, weren't you? But then there was..."

Brennan nodded. "Hannah."

Angela sighed deeply. How could Booth have given up so easily? "He's an idiot Bren. I will kick his ass."

Brennan gently shook her head and looked down at her hands. "No Ange. This is my fault. I can't get the vision of him from that night outside the Hoover Building out of my mind." Brennan took a moment trying to control the sob that was threatening to erupt from her. "Ange, he was broken, absolutely devastated. He cried...The strongest man I have ever met was crying because of me. I told him I was saying no to protect him but I was really only thinking of myself. I'm surprised he's still talking to me."

Angela felt her tears begin to fall again. It wasn't just her best friend that was hurting. Special Agent Seeley Booth had a broken heart too. How could two people who love each other so much hurt each other like this?

"I missed my chance...and I regret it more than I could have ever imagined." Brennan mumbled between sobs.

Angela led her back to couch and the friends sat down beside each other.

"So where is your head and your heart right now?"

"I didn't want to risk losing him but I feel like I have anyways. I don't see him nearly as much outside of work and now Hannah is always with us. He used to innocently touch me without thinking and now he makes an effort to avoid touching at all costs. He barely visits the lab anymore and I can't remember the last time he brought take-out to my place in the middle of the night. My head keeps telling me to just wait for my feelings for Booth to pass. But Ange, my heart won't stop aching. I can't watch him with Hannah. It's killing me. Last night, I cringed every time they smiled at each other or exchanged the most innocent of touches. I couldn't even concentrate on what Michael was saying because I was too busy trying to ignore what was happening on the other side of the table. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Instead of fading, my feelings have intensified."

"Well sweetie, that's because love doesn't just fade away like that. I know you probably won't believe me but I can tell that Booth's love for you hasn't faded either." Angela explained gently.

Brennan shook her head and said sadly, "I don't know if he ever even really loved me." She looked down to her hands and played with her tissue.

Angela shook her head and sighed. "He did and still does, Bren. I see it every time he looks at you."

"You're wrong Angela. He loves Hannah."

"Sweetie, did you see how he reacted when Hannah tried to set you up? That was a jealous man. A man who is still in love and who doesn't want to see the woman he loves with someone else. He's using Hannah to try and move on but it's not working."

Brennan sat quietly for a moment considered what Angela had just said. She wished she was right but she couldn't allow herself to hope. She would never get control of her feelings back if she allowed herself to get lost in a dream that would never come true. She sighed. "He was probably just upset because he didn't think I would appreciate someone interfering in my personal life. Besides, Angela, he would never use a woman like that. Booth would never be with someone he didn't love."

"I agree Bren. The normal Booth would never do that but from what you've told me, it sounds like he has been in self preservation mode since you turned him down. He's confused and like you said, he's broken. He's trying to do everything he can to make it through this in one piece...Just like you are...and I think his method has been just as successful as yours." She added sarcastically.

Brennan really wanted to believe her but knew that hoping for something that would never come true would only make the pain she was currently feeling even more acute.

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"Of course not!" Brennan turned to Angela in shock. "How could I? He's with Hannah now and he loves her. He's happy and I won't do anything to jeopardize that for him. I won't be selfish this time, Ange. I won't. I want him to be happy even if I can't be." She looked back down to her hands and quietly said, "I missed my chance."

Angela smiled sadly. "You really do love him."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, but I'm sure it will fade. Just like Booth said, 'everything happens eventually'."

Angela leaned forward and hugged her best friend. "I really hope you're wrong. You BOTH deserve to be happy."

If Brennan was honest with herself she would have to admit that she too wished she was wrong.


	11. Chapter 11: The Break Up

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 11: The Breakup

Seeley Booth paused with his hand on his door knob. He could hear his TV playing and knew that Hannah had already arrived and had let herself in with his spare key. He had phoned her in the morning and had told her that they needed to talk and asked if they could meet later that night. She had agreed and suggested they meet at his place after work.

Booth was not looking forward to this conversation but he knew it was one they had to have. He took a deep breath and opened his door. Hannah was sitting on the couch and when he entered she turned to look at him and gave him a small smile.

"Hey." She said gently.

"Uh, hey." Booth smiled back. He tossed his keys down on the side table and slowly made his way towards the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink?"

He heard Hannah lean forward, turn the television off and then place the remote on the coffee table. "No. I'm good. Thanks."

Booth grabbed a beer from the fridge and made his way back to the living room and took a seat next to Hannah. Neither made a move to greet each other with more than a small smile.

Booth had no idea how to start this conversation. He decided to ease into it slowly. "How was your day?"

Hannah chuckled lightly, crossed her arms and turned to look Booth in the eyes. "Seeley, can we just skip the small talk and get to the main event?" The beautiful blonde moved her hand to his forearm and gently said, "I think we both know why we're here."

Could Hannah actually know the truth? Had he not been as good as he thought about hiding his inner turmoil all these months? It was time to be completely truthful with both her and himself. Hannah deserved that much. He took a deep breath and nodded.

Placing his hand over her own he began, "Hannah, you are an amazing woman. You are everything I have ever wanted. You are beautiful, intelligent, funny and ambitious. We want all the same things in life...you are great with Parker...We make sense. Being with you is easy and uncomplicated. I think we would be good together." Booth paused to collect his thoughts.

"Yes, I think you're right. We would have a good life together." Hannah offered calmly.

Booth nodded.

Hannah touched his forearm and Booth turned to look her in the eyes. "But it wouldn't be extraordinary. It would be good and it would be easy and we'd be relatively happy…but it wouldn't be extraordinary."

A look of understanding passed between the two of them. Booth couldn't believe how amazing this woman was. "You deserve extraordinary, Hannah."

Hannah smiled sweetly at him and tilted her head to the side. "So do you, Seeley."

He gave her a small smile back and taking her hand in his own, he kissed her knuckles chastely.

They stared at each other as they calmly accepted what was happening between them. Neither one was as upset about the new development as they thought they would be. Booth leaned forward, releasing her hand and reaching for his beer.

Hannah pushed herself deeper into the couch, crossed her arms in front of her, leaned her head back onto the couch and placed her feet on his coffee table. A mischievous twinkle shone from her eyes and a smirk appeared on her face.

"I really like Temperance, you know…"

Booth stopped mid sip and stared straight ahead; too scared to look Hannah directly in the eyes for fear that she would see the affect even the mention of Bones had on him.

Hannah continued on knowingly. "…I mean, how could you not? She's brilliant, a world renowned anthropologist, best-selling author, charmingly unaware of social mores." Both she and Booth laughed softly at that. Then she said seriously. "She's an incredible woman, Seeley." She avoided looking him in the eyes when she reached over, took the beer from his hands and helped herself to a sip. "I'd even go so far as to say she's…extraordinary." She replaced the beer in his hands and smiled reassuringly at the handsome FBI agent sitting next to her looking in her direction with a mixture of shock and horror.

He felt awful. She knew. Of course she knew. He sighed deeply. The last thing he had wanted to do was hurt Hannah. He didn't want her to think he was using her because that had never been his intention. God, he had wasted so much of her time. He had led her to believe that they would have a future together. Hannah had gotten caught in the middle of something that had nothing to do with her and in that moment the guilt and the shame of having been the person who had put her in that position overwhelmed him. "Hannah…" he started resignedly.

She waved off whatever he was going to say. "Seeley don't. It's ok. We don't chose who our hearts decide to love. Besides we had a good time together. I think it was exactly what both of us needed at that moment. I don't regret it and neither should you."

Booth smiled. She was right. He had enjoyed his time with her. She and their relationship had helped him realize what he really wanted, what he really needed, despite the fact that he was unlikely ever to get it. He didn't regret the time he spent with Hannah. "I really do care about you. This was never my intention, Hannah" He sighed. "I thought I was ready to move on and then I came back here and I've just been so confused lately. I just didn't know how to sort out everything I was feeling when I had no idea what I was feeling."

"Well, I think we've both had some clarity in the last 24 hours. I had my suspicions but last night…" Hannah laughed whole heartedly. Booth's face went red from embarrassment. He started to massage the back of his neck. He hadn't realized that he had been that obvious.

"Seeley, don't you think it's a better idea to just talk to her about how you feel rather than killing every man who shows any interest in her? God, Michael told me he checked to make sure his door was locked three times before he went to bed last night because he was afraid a trained sniper might try to break in. Oh, and he did go to bed alone by the way…Just if you were curious." She looked at Booth out of the corner of her eye and smiled when she saw relief wash over his face.

He then shook his head and sadly said, "I don't have a claim on her, Hannah. She doesn't owe me anything. It's none of my business where she spends her night."

Hannah couldn't believe that such an observant and intelligent man was so clueless about the woman he loved.

"Seeley, I don't know what happened between you two or how you felt about each other before but I can tell you this," Seeley mirrored Hannah's pose on the couch. They both turned their heads to look at one another. "You are crazy if you think that Temperance Brennan is not madly in love with you. You can see it every time she looks at you and I swear to you, last night was just as awful for her as it was for you. She wasn't paying attention to anything Michael was saying! She was so distracted trying to make it seem as though she was paying no attention to you."

Seeley looked away and huffed. "Bones doesn't 'get distracted'...especially by me. Besides, she looked pretty focused on Mr. Politics last night. I'd be surprised if she even remembered I was there."

Hannah smiled and shook her head, "I think you're wrong. What I saw last night was a woman going through the motions, acting the way she thought she should be acting on a date. She cringed every time I touched you. I swear, she probably doesn't remember a word that Michael said to her last night."

Booth sat there deep in thought. There was no way _he_ had distracted Bones. He would have noticed. Wouldn't he?

"I'd just hate to see two people in love miss another opportunity." Hannah said quietly.

Booth took another swig of his beer. "She doesn't love me. I would know if she loved me. In fact she doesn't even really believe in love."

Hannah sat silently for a couple of moments determining what exactly she should say next and then sighed. "Well, she practically told me that a lack of love wasn't the issue for either of you."

Booth turned to look at her in silence, seemingly confused by what she was saying.

"She said for a relationship to work there had to be a moment…a shared moment and that the two of you had each had your own moments but they never seemed to overlap…Timing. That's what it came down to."

Booth continued to stare at her while the wheels in his head continued to turn trying to make sense of what Hannah was telling him.

"She certainly didn't seem like a woman who didn't believe or hadn't experienced love, to me." Hannah got up slowly from the couch and grabbed her purse and jacket from the empty chair. "But hey, what do I know?" She started to walk to the door. "I'm going to head out."

Booth stood as well and walked her to the door.

With her hand on the door knob she said sincerely, "I want you to be happy, Seeley."

Booth's heart warmed at her words and he pulled her into a hug and replied quietly, "thank you Hannah. I hope you realize how amazing you are."

They pulled away from each other and Hannah cradled his face in both of her hands, making sure that he was looking directly into her eyes. "I want you to promise me you'll talk to Temperance about all of this."

Booth's eyes saddened. "I can't. The last time I tried that, she ran halfway across the world to get away from me."

She shot him a comforting smile. "Love makes people do some very strange things." Hannah leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't miss another moment. Goodbye, Seeley." With that, she was gone.

Booth closed the door and leaned is forehead on the back of it. He let out a breath that he felt as though he had been holding for months. His mind was racing but at least it felt good to breathe again.


	12. Chapter 12: Something

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 12: Something is Better than Nothing

The Jeffersonian team was all gathered on the platform surrounding a set of remains that had been sent over by the Roman Antiquities department. They were all intensely discussing the research approach they should take so it wasn't surprising that they didn't hear the security card swiper beep or didn't see Booth happily jog up the platform steps.

Booth actually felt somewhat rested today. Last night, he had his first good night sleep in months and now he couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face when he took in the scene in front of him. With the exception of his quick visit to the lab to find Parker over a week ago, it had been a long time since he had allowed himself to visit the lab. Just seeing his group of squints gathered around a metal table made him realize just how much he missed the people, especially one, that called this lab home.

Her back was to him. Her hair was pulled back as it normally was when she was in anthropologist mode. The sight of her in her blue lab coat was almost comforting...almost. More than anything it was arousing. It wasn't necessarily the coat but the intensity that usually came with it that he loved. This was the first time he had been able to look at her in a long time and allow himself to feel everything that the vision of Bones stirred within him without being weighed down by his own guilt and anger. There was no confusion about his emotions any more. No more inner turmoil. He was in love with this woman standing with her back to him and he was done denying it.

The chance that Hannah was right, that maybe he still had a chance with Brennan seemed so remote but yet he couldn't resist allowing it to fuel his hope for a shared future with the woman he loved. He couldn't let himself get too far ahead of himself though. He'd need to be sure before doing anything about it and so as he left his apartment this morning he formulated a plan. For the next little while he wouldn't push her or demand something from her that she wasn't ready for but he would be acutely aware of every conscious and unconscious signal she sent to him. With the collection of signals he would piece together the truth and go from there. Until then, he would have to learn how to balance his need and desire for her with his need to have her in his life even if that meant only being friends for now.

Just looking at her made him realize how difficult this was going to be considering he was having trouble resisting the urge to wrap his arms around her waist. How could he have ever thought that he could move beyond these feelings? They consumed and overwhelmed him in a way that he could no longer deny…in a way he never again wanted to deny.

Keeping his head on the endgame, instead of giving in to his baser urges, he moved towards the unaware group of squints and placed his head over Brennan's right shoulder, directly beside her ear and said, "Do we have anything good here?"

Everyone jumped, especially Brennan who almost dropped the bone she was holding. She quickly turned her head to where the voice was coming from only to find Booth's smiling face not to mention his inviting lips, mere centimetres away from her own. She snapped her head back around and closed her eyes.

"G-man!" Hodgins exclaimed and slapped Booth on the back.

"So, what's my favourite squint squad working on today?" Booth said jovially with a smile for them all. His gaze landed on Brennan.

Brennan was shocked to see him there. Since her discussion with Angela the day before, her emotions were still raw and she had been doing anything she could to keep busy to avoid thinking of her partner or the feelings that she was experiencing. She had been hoping against all hope that no case would come up in the next few days. She was sure that if she could avoid seeing Booth for at least that long she might be able to push through and at least get some semblance of control over her feelings again. When she had turned and had seen his face so close to her own, the thread like control that she had over her emotions almost snapped. She didn't like feeling this way. When she came out of her haze of thought, she heard Hodgins giving a rundown of their newest project while Booth continued to stare at her. She recognized that look he was giving her. It was the same look he always had when he was in the interrogation room. He was trying to figure out what was going on in her head. She immediately steeled her expression.

Cam was mid sentence when Brennan cut her off. "You should have called first." She said addressing Booth directly.

Booth was surprised by the sudden remark and the curtness with which it was delivered. He had been trying to determine how she felt about him being there. If he went by that last comment alone he would have to say she wasn't too pleased. "Why?" he asked simply.

The crowd of squints were now observing the interaction between the two partners with interest, both seemingly forgetting that they weren't alone.

Brennan laid down the specimen in her hand and took off her gloves. "Because I could have been ready when you arrived. Now I have to get my gear and we're wasting valuable time during which my remains might be compromised." She made a move to leave the platform.

Booth looked puzzled for a moment until he realized what she must have thought. He reached out and touched her arm to stop her from leaving.

"No, Bones, there's no case."

Brennan looked at him confused. "Then why are you here?"

Booth was all of a sudden uncertain of himself. Maybe she didn't want him here. It had been a long time since he had just dropped by. Maybe she had gotten used to not having him around. He laughed nervously and looked around to the rest of the group. "What, can't I drop by and visit my favourite squints?"

Brennan got a sudden wave of nausea. Angela wouldn't have talked to Booth after they had talked the day before and told him that she missed him, would she? She looked quickly to her friend who was looking directly at her knowing exactly what she was thinking. She subtly shook her head to give Brennan an answer.

Cam jumped in when no one seemed prepared to react to Booth's question. "Come on Seeley. You know you're always welcome. It's just been a long time since you've 'dropped by'.

"Yeah, well, that's why I'm here. I was starting to miss this old place. Besides," he turned his gaze to Brennan. "Its noon, and I figured on my way to the diner I would swing by and see if I could convince my favourite forensic anthropologist to have lunch with me." He leaned towards Brennan and nudged her playfully while sending her his best charm smile.

Brennan caught herself starting to smile and quickly steeled her expression once again. She looked back at the remains "I can't Booth, I have to get this project started."

Angela couldn't believe what she was hearing. Only yesterday, her friend had told her how much she missed her partner and now when that same partner wanted to spend some time with her she was turning him down. "Oh come on Bren, this can wait. You've gotta eat."

"That's right Bones...you gotta eat!" Booth repeated playfully "So why not eat with me?"

Brennan almost gave in. She hadn't seen Booth in this good a mood since...She sighed. He probably had a good round of sexual intercourse this morning with Hannah. No, she couldn't leave this lab with him...She couldn't watch him like this and know that it was another woman that had made him this happy.

"I brought a lunch today. Besides, I want to get this started. We're already behind."

Booth's disappointment showed all over his face and features. "Oh, ok. Well I guess I'll let you get back to it then." As Booth descended the stairs he realized it wasn't going to be easy to re-establishing their old friendship. She had gotten into a whole new routine while he was off trying to distract himself with Hannah and she was a woman that loved her routines and rarely changed them for anyone. Just before he got to the bottom of the stairs he thought he would give it one more try. Maybe it would be easier to convince her to do something if everyone else was going too. He wanted so much to spend some time with her, even if that meant he had to share her while doing so. He turned back around to the group that was still staring at him, that is except for one of its members, and said hopefully, "It's Friday. It's been way too long since we've all just hung out. Why don't we all meet up for drinks after work?"

He looked to Cam pleadingly and she got the hint. "I'm in." She said casually. Booth gave her a small appreciative smile.

"We're in too." Angela chimed in quickly and elbowed Hodgins in the ribs.

"Oh, yeah. It's been a long week. I could really use a drink!" the bug man added.

The platform fell silent as all eyes landed on Brennan. She continued looking at the remains in front of her. "I have to do some writing tonight. My publisher is pushing to see the next chapter by Wednesday."

"Sweetie..." Angela began to object.

Brennan looked at her best friend pointedly and said "I can't. I just can't." Angela understood the deeper meaning she was trying to convey.

Booth took a deep breath and walked back up the stairs and stood across from Brennan. "Bones." Her eyes met his at his use of her nickname. "Please." He said earnestly.

She sighed. She couldn't say no to those beautiful brown eyes of his...not again.

She nodded gently. "OK."

Booth couldn't help the megawatt smile that took over his face. They stared at each other for a few minutes before Booth realized that their three other friends were staring at them.

"Alright then." He said excitedly. He turned to leave once again and on his way down the stairs he called back, "I'll call Sweets." He turned back around when he was on the main floor. "7 o'clock...Founding Fathers...don't be late. I don't want to have to sit with the 12-year-old shrink all night by myself!"

The group laughed, including Brennan.

Booth looked directly at Brennan. "I'll see you tonight?"

Brennan gently nodded again.

Reassured, Booth turned on his heels and headed for the exit.

:P:P:P:P:P

Bones looked down at her watch. It was 7:09 and Booth had yet to arrive. She was both dreading and anticipating his arrival. The prospect of spending the evening with him excited her and scared her to death. She wished she hadn't agreed to come so that she could avoid the whole gamut of emotions that she was feeling at this moment.

"Geez and Booth told us not to be late!" Hodgins laughed.

"Yeah, I wonder what's taking him so long." Cam asked.

Brennan sighed. "He probably had to pick up Hannah from somewhere."

"Well if he did, he didn't bring her with him." Angela replied pointing out the window.

Brennan looked to see Booth jumping out of the SUV and making his way across the street to the entrance. She watched him walk into the pub and his face light up when he saw the table with all of his friends. Brennan couldn't take her eyes off of him. She had always found Booth incredibly attractive in a suit but on the rare opportunities that she saw him in less formal wear she was reminded just how sexy her partner really was. With Booth wearing a perfectly fitted pair of dark denim jeans, a fitted black button down dress shirt with the top two buttons left undone, and his leather jacket, tonight was no exception.

"Sorry I'm late. I got caught in a meeting with Cullen and then I stopped by my apartment to change." He took the seat next to Brennan that had conveniently remained empty until his arrival. He looked over to his partner and smiled. "Hey, Bones."

Brennan gave him a quick smile. "Hey."

"So, is Hannah going to be joining us tonight?" Sweets asked causing all eyes to fall on Booth.

The FBI agent suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He didn't want to just come out and tell everyone, especially Bones that he was no longer with Hannah. There would be too many questions and he didn't know how to answer them truthfully without sending Bones running again.

After taking his jacket off, he focused on the centre of the table. "No. She's on assignment." As far as he knew that was the truth. He scanned the table quickly and noticing that none of them had drinks yet he saw his chance to escape and he offered, "What's with the lack of drinks here? The next round is on me." And with that he headed to the bar.

"He's going to need help carrying everything over. I'll give him a hand." Cam slipped off her seat and followed in Booth's footsteps.

She slid up beside Booth at the bar. "Sooooooo..."

Booth looked over to the smug looking Cam who was looking at him expectantly. "What, Camille?"

"Come on, Seeley, spill!" She laughed.

Booth sighed and took a long drag from the beer that the bartender had just sat down in front of him. He really didn't want to get into this with Cam right now. All he wanted was a fun night with his friends. A night like they used to have before things got so complicated. "There's nothing to spill." He replied avoiding looking in her direction.

Cam couldn't help it any longer. She had a pretty good idea of what was going on. "So, when did you and Hannah break up?" She asked trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

Booth turned completely to face Cam. "What makes you think I broke up with Hannah?"

"Well, first of all you are more yourself then I've seen you in months." Booth's eyes had gravitated to Bones while Cam was talking. "Plus, you can't keep your eyes off of Dr. Brennan. I mean, that's not new but now you don't seem so conflicted about it."

Booth's eyes shot back to Cam's and any inclination he had had to lie to her vanished. He knew she would see right through him and she'd tell him so. That was one of the reasons why he liked her so much. Camille Saroyan was not one to pull any punches. He nodded and smiled slightly as he responded, "Wednesday."

Cam considered the simple answer and his body language. "I would say I was sorry but you'd know I'd be lying. I do like Hannah but there was no way the two of you were going to last long term." Booth nodded. "You seem to be handling the break up well."

Booth smiled contentedly. "Yeah, I am. You said it yourself, I feel more like myself than I have in a long time. It was like I was lost when I was with her. Being with Hannah was easy and fun at the beginning, but it wasn't...fulfilling, you know? I was trying to be someone I wasn't. She never drove me crazy, never challenged me, never disagreed with me."

Cam huffed. "Sounds awful." she said sarcastically.

Booth laughed. "You know what I mean."

Cam smiled knowingly. "Yeah, I do. She wasn't Dr. Brennan."

Booth took another sip of his beer. There was no denying it anymore, he didn't want to. "No, she wasn't."

"Have you told Dr. Brennan yet?"

Booth took a deep breath. "No."

"You should. Her reaction might surprise you." And with that Cam winked at him, grabbed three of the drinks and made her way back to the table.

Booth's eyes fell on Brennan. He smiled to himself. God it felt good. He no longer had any reason to feel guilty about how excited he was to see her. He wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer without having to deal with all of the complications of Bones' reaction to his break up. He had just gotten her back. He couldn't risk losing her so soon. No, he had to figure out how he would keep his emotions in check enough to avoid sending Bones running for another anthropological dig somewhere across the world.

Sensing that Booth was looking at her, Brennan looked up from her conversation with Angela and made eye contact with him. He had such a tenderness shining in his eyes. It was the same look that she dreamed about when she was in Maluku. She wanted it to mean what she thought it meant but knew it couldn't. He was with Hannah. When she looked up again he was approaching the table with three drinks. He placed the glass of red wine down in front of her, the beer down in front of himself and the pina colada down in front of Sweets. The group couldn't stop their laughter when Booth then reached over, took the umbrella out of the drink and put it behind Sweets' ear.

:P:P:P:P:P:P

The ride to Brennan's apartment was a quiet one, both happy with simply being in the other's presence.

Booth was deep in thought. He had told Hannah that Bones wasn't the type to get distracted but there had been two occasions throughout the evening when he had caught her staring at him and someone at the table had to repeat a question that had been asked of her. Booth didn't know what to think of it. It had appeared that Bones had been distracted, and in particular distracted by him, something he had never thought possible. Every time he had caught her eye with his own, he couldn't read the emotions that were swirling just beneath the surface. This was so different for him. He had always been so good at reading body language. But in those brief moments that he had caught her staring at him she was a closed book.

It had been a great night. He had enjoyed himself and he could tell that Bones had enjoyed herself too. At the end of the night he could tell she hadn't wanted to allow him to drive her home, but he had insisted. He had wanted as much time as he could get with her to try and figure out what was going on in her mind. He wanted so much to believe that maybe Hannah or Cam was right but unless he could get some real signals from her he could not risk talking to her about how he was feeling.

As he pulled up in front of Brennan's apartment, Booth stole a glance at his partner. She seemed to be in her own little world.

"I'm glad you came out tonight, Bones."

Brennan was snapped out of her thoughts and looked to Booth. She smiled. She really had enjoyed herself and loved spending time with Booth. For a while she had been able to pretend that the last year and a half hadn't happened. But sitting here looking at him, reality came crashing down around her.

He noticed the sadness overcome her features and it confused him even more.

She nodded without actually looking in his direction. "Yes. It was fun." She reached for the door handle. "Thanks for the ride, Booth."

"Anytime." Booth said as he watched her make a move to open the door. On an impulse, Booth reached out and gently touched her arm, stopping Brennan from exiting the vehicle.

Brennan left her hand on the handle but turned to look at Booth. He was staring at her again like he had earlier in the evening, as if he was trying to decide exactly what she was thinking. She broke eye contact immediately and hoped that the darkness of the SUV made it too difficult to see the slight blush she felt creep up her cheeks. 

Booth didn't miss it though. Could Hannah and Cam be right? Could Bones feel something for him? But then he realized that he needed and wanted to spend more time with her no matter what the answer to that question was. 

Without removing his hand from her arm, he blurted out, "I have Parker this weekend. We're going to the park tomorrow...if you want to come with us. Parker would love it if you were there...I'd love it if you were there." He added sincerely.

Brennan always found it very difficult to resist an offer to spend some time with the Booth boys but not only did she have a lot of writing to do this coming weekend but she wasn't sure how much longer she could spend time with Booth without revealing her true feelings for him. She smiled back at him and explained, "I shouldn't. I have a lot of writing to get done. I've found it very difficult to write since I've gotten back and my deadline is next week." 

Booth nodded sadly. "Ok, but if you change your mind or if you want to take a lunch break, we'll be down by the reflecting pool around noon throwing the football around and there will be enough food for three." he added hopefully. 

He shot her his best charm smile and she laughed softly and shook her head. She was always amazed at how much that smile affected her. 

"Oh," She said suddenly opening her purse and pulling out a small envelope. "Here. I almost forgot to give you these." She said as she handed the envelope to Booth. 

It was Booth's turn to look confused. "What's this?" 

"They're your tickets for next Friday." A look of panic flashed across her face. "I mean, that is, if you still want to go." 

Booth smiled. "Of course I still want to go. I wouldn't miss my partner and best friend winning 'scientist of the year' and yes I know that's not the actual name of the award." He shot her his best charm smile and it broadened even more when he saw a slight blush creep up her face again. He loved this side of Bones. The vulnerable side, the side that she let very few people see. He pulled the two tickets out of the envelope. "But, I'm only going to need one ticket."

Brennan looked at the ticket that he was trying to hand back to her. "Oh, Hannah won't be able to make it?" 

He had been given his opportunity. He hadn't wanted to tell the entire group and change the dynamic of the night but this was just he and Bones. He wanted her to know. He needed her to know. Besides, her reaction to the news might just give him more information as to what she felt for him. He made sure to look her directly in the eye as he said, "Actually, Hannah and I are no longer seeing each other."

Booth didn't know how she would react but he had at least expected her to react somehow. Instead she just blankly stared back at him as if waiting for him to continue.

Finally, Brennan broke the silence. "You only need one ticket." Brennan repeated softly, still processing the meaning behind the words she was saying as she took one ticket back.

"Right." Booth agreed still waiting.

Brennan's brain was working on overdrive. Booth and Hannah were no longer together. What did that mean, exactly?

Since returning to the States, Booth and Hannah's relationship had been a constant reminder to her that he did not feel as strongly for her as she did for him. Now that Hannah was apparently gone, it didn't necessarily mean that Booth's feelings had changed or that anything would change between the two of them. What was she supposed to do with this information? What did Booth want her to do with this information?

As she looked up at her partner, Brennan saw Booth's interrogation face once again in place as he waited for her reaction. Not knowing what else to say, she simply said, "I'm very sorry to hear that, Booth."

Booth held her gaze. After a few more moments of silence, Booth finally simply asked, "Are you?"

Brennan was caught off guard by the question. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't make eye contact with him when she replied, "Of course, Booth. You seemed like a good match. You seemed very happy together."

Booth took a deep breath and carefully watched her as he replied, "Yeah, we were a good match. We would have had a good life together." He paused. "But neither one of us wanted to settle for just 'good'" He looked directly in her eyes. "We both wanted something extraordinary."

Brennan nodded, and looked down at her hands. "You deserve something extraordinary, Booth."

Booth reached over and softly guided her chin in his direction so that he could look her in the eye. "So do you, Temperance."

The average person may have missed the slight softening of the look in her eyes and the flash of longing that followed but Booth was an expert at reading people. She couldn't hide the beautiful innocence and vulnerability that he had seen. However, as quickly as the tenderness came, it was gone again, and replaced by her steeled expression. A sudden hope filled him and he couldn't help the slight upward curve of his lips as he realized that Cam and Hannah may have been right.

It may not be all out love but there was definitely something. He could work with 'something'…He would do everything he could to change that 'something' into love. He certainly had made a lot of mistakes but he would spend every day, every moment making it up to her. He would make her happy. He would show her what being with him in a relationship could be like…he would show her that they could have an extraordinary life together…one small step at a time.

Patience…He had pushed too quickly last time. He hadn't given her the time she had needed and she had left him for a whole year...He couldn't survive that again. Plus, he had to make sure, although he felt almost relieved that his relationship with Hannah was over, that it was completely behind him and that it would have no impact on his relationship with Brennan moving forward. A relationship between the agent and the scientist would be challenging enough without the memory of a third person haunting them from the shadows.

No, this time he would wait until they were both ready. Everything happens eventually…He felt a weight lifted off of him and for the first time in over a year he had hope and felt excited for the future.

Brennan wished she could read people better...more specifically Booth. What were those emotions that she was seeing flash across his face? What did he expect of her? If only he would send her a clear signal. Brennan fell back to her safe space of scientific reasoning as she always did when she was unsure of herself or confused by something and cautiously began by saying, "Yes well, anthropologically speaking of course, the term 'extraordinary' has much more of a positive connotation than the term 'good' and it is also much easier to define." She looked up at Booth who sent her his best charm smile.

"Is that so?" He asked softly.

"Yes. 'Good' is such a subjective term that really has no meaning. Two different people can look at the same object or event and one deem it 'good' and the other deem it 'bad'. 'Extraordinary' is something that diverges from the norm, something that is unusual and as an anthropologist, I would much rather study something that is labelled 'extraordinary' than something that is simply said to be 'good'. We can learn a lot more from extraordinary things. In fact..."

Booth continued to listen to her ramble in squint-speak about her preference for 'extraordinary' with a wide smile plastered across his face. How could he have ever believed that he could ever get over this woman? He was completely and undeniably head-over-heels in love with Temperance Brennan and was never going to deny it again. He just hoped he didn't have to wait too long to tell her. If this moment was any indication, it would take everything in him to stop himself from touching her and taking her in his arms while he waited for the right moment. She was it for him.

As Brennan finished her rambling a silence fell over the SUV and its occupants until Booth asked, "Did you want to go to the awards dinner together? I mean, we normally go to these things together. It's kind of become our thing. I just thought it could be fun."

He saw a smile begin to form on his partner's lips before it was replaced with a slight pout that he found absolutely adorable. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before responding, "I have no doubt that it would be an enjoyable evening if we went together but I actually am already bringing a guest." She stated matter-of-factly.

Booth's face fell instantaneously upon hearing her reply. She had a date. She had a date? Had she already asked Mr. Politics to be her date? He was suddenly angry at himself for waiting so long to fix things with Brennan. Now he would have to sit thorough yet another night of his Bones on the arm of Mr. Politics. He too sighed and nodded gently. "You have a date." He stated sadly.

"Well, I wouldn't call it a date." She responded. "I invited my dad. He always complains that he never gets to see me receive these kinds of honours, and you had said you were bringing Hannah meaning we weren't going together, so I invited him as my guest."

Booth's smile broadened. And he let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. "Well although I'm disappointed we won't be arriving together I still reserve the right to take you for a couple of spins around the dance floor once you get there."

Brennan smiled shyly. "I hardly think my dad will mind that so I'll reserve a couple of spots on my dance ticket for you."

"...Dance 'card', Bones...dance 'card'." They both laughed softly.

They sat silently staring at each other. Booth wanted nothing more than to lean in and touch her lips with his own but knew that was the last thing he should do if his plan was to move slowly.

"Well," she started, "It's getting late..." She opened the door and as she turned to close the door behind her, Booth held up his hand to stop her. 

"Thanks for coming out tonight, Bones. I had a really good time." 

She nodded gently. "Me too. Good night Booth. Say hi to Parker for me." And with that she closed the door and made her way up to her apartment. 

When he saw her disappear he pulled the car back into the traffic. It had been a good night. He had gotten the information he need and more importantly wanted. He now knew the truth and he could and would wait. He would be there for her in whatever capacity she was ready to have him and he would wait. As long as she didn't run from him, he could wait forever.


	13. Chapter 13: Rebuilding the Friendship

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 13: Rebuilding the Friendship

"Ok Parker...go deep!" Booth called to his son. They had been at the National Mall for the last hour or so tossing the football around and creating imaginary plays. It was a beautiful day and father and son were both thoroughly enjoying themselves. Booth threw the perfect pass and Parker caught it with ease and started running towards his father trying to get past him for a touchdown but Booth was too quick and picked him up and playfully tackled him. Parker landed on top of his father and both broke out into a fit of giggles.

Temperance Brennan stood a short distance away and couldn't help but laugh with them having witnessed their shenanigans. She always found Booth attractive but never more so than when she was able to witness his interaction with his son.

"Bones!" Parker yelled in surprise from his sprawled out position on the ground. Booth's head whipped around in time to see his son shoot up from the ground and run to his partner with his arms wide open. He crashed into her which sent her flying onto her back knocking the wind out of her. Booth was up within seconds and ran to her side. Brennan's field of vision was filled with two worried Booths both talking at the same time, Parker apologizing and Booth checking to see if she was ok. She couldn't stop the giggles that erupted from her chest.

"I'm fine! Really, I'm fine."

"Parker you have to be more careful!" Booth reprimanded his son gently as he helped is partner up off the ground.

"I didn't mean to knock her down. I was just excited to see her." Turning his attention to Brennan who was dusting herself off he said sincerely, "Sorry Bones."

Brennan ruffled his hair and pulled him into a hug and laughed. "It's ok Parker. You're not the first Booth to tackle me to the ground."

"Yeah, but I was protecting you from a possible explosion!" Booth justified while smiling widely. The two adults stared at each other sweetly until the moment was interrupted by Parker.

"So are you done your book, Bones? Dad said you might not be able to make it because you were writing your book."

Brennan quickly looked over at Booth who was still smiling at her and explained, "No I'm not done but I was writing in my office and I got hungry and decided that a short walk and break might be a good idea. I mean, you gotta eat right?"

"That's what dad always says!" Grabbing Brennan's hand Parker dragged her over to the cooler that was sitting next to what the anthropologist assumed were the Booths' jackets. Booth followed close behind and couldn't stop smiling. He knew she was busy this weekend and had hoped she would take a break and join them but he hadn't expected it. He watched as Parker and his partner set up the blanket and sat down cross-legged next to each other and couldn't resist the urge to join them.

He sat down next to Brennan and as Parker started getting the food out of the cooler Booth slowly reached over and gingerly touched the small of her back to get her attention. The simple touch sent electricity through both of them and they instantly made eye contact. He didn't move his hand but instead moved his thumb back and forth, caressing Bones' back through her shirt. "Thanks for coming, Bones. I know how busy you are."

Brennan shrugged and smiled at him sweetly. "I'm never too busy for you and Parker, Booth."

Another one of the moments passed as Parker told them to eat up. Booth's hand slipped away as they focused on their shared meal.

:P:P:P:P:P:P

It was 11:45 on Sunday night and Bones was sitting in her silk robe at the kitchen table in front of her computer. She was re-reading the chapter she had just finished...3 days before her deadline. She was very impressed by the amount she had accomplished despite the number of times her mind had drifted back to her Saturday lunch in the park with the Booths. She sighed. She had joined them against her better judgement. She had work to finish! Temperance Brennan never allowed herself to get distracted when there was work to be finished but even just the thought of spending the afternoon with her two favourite men was too tempting to resist. If she had any doubt about how she felt about Seeley Booth, the warmth that spread through her whole body when she thought about their shared afternoon would erase any doubt if she still had any. She smiled as she thought about how easy and how good it felt to feel as though she was part of the Booth family.

She sighed contentedly and couldn't help but picture her sexy partner as she remembered how Booth had touched her back and had looked at her. She had even played a little football with the boys before she forced herself back to work even though she had been tempted by their invitation to stay with them for the rest of the afternoon. She smiled when she remembered the cute way Parker had pulled her down for a kiss on the cheek while Booth had pulled them both into a group hug before she left. Things had felt right between them for the first time in over a year.

Just as she was enjoying the memory of being wrapped in her partner's arms even if it was as a result of a football tackle there was a soft knock at her door. Her smile got wider as she realized who it must be. There was only one person that knocks, well used to knock, on her door at this hour of the night. Yes, they were definitely heading in the right direction.

She tightened her robe as she made her way over to the door and answered it as the second knock began. As she opened it she was greeted with the wonderful smell of Thai food and the vision of her sexy partner in flip-flops, sweatpants and an old t-shirt leaning on the door jam and smiling charmingly at her.

Oh what this man did to her! Brennan couldn't stop herself from smiling back and leaning against the open door. "Let me guess, in the neighbourhood, saw my light on?"

He chuckled softly. "Something like that." He cryptically explained. There was no way he would tell her the real reason he was here. She didn't need to know that he had missed her like crazy all day and couldn't get the memory of how amazing she had been with Parker yesterday or the memory of how good it had felt to tackle her gently to the ground and then laugh with her as she struggled to get up out of his mind. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Only if you agree to share." She teased as she pointed at the take out.

Immediately, Booth showed her the 2 sets of chopsticks he held in his hand and smiled. She nodded and stepped aside allowing him entry. She missed the lingering gaze he shot her silk clad body as she had her back turned while closing the door.

"Did you want a beer?" She offered as she walked past him to the kitchen.

"Sure. How's the writing coming?" he asked as he began setting up the food on her coffee table.

She joined him on the couch putting his beer and her wine down beside the open cartons. "Actually, I just finished the chapter that's due next Wednesday. I have been quite productive today." She replied proudly.

"Good for you, Bones...Have you eaten yet?"

Brennan huffed and rolled her eyes. "You know Booth, I did feed myself before I met you."

Booth smiled gently and asked arrogantly. "Yes, but did you enjoy your meals as much as you do now?"

Brennan laughed whole heartedly. "Well, you may have an argument there."

Satisfied with her answer, Booth took a swig of his beer and with a smirk changed the subject, "so, can we look forward to a replay of page 187 in this book?"

Brennan laughed, "well, Andy is such an accomplished lover page 187 was only one of his many moves. I can assure you that page 263 in this book will be just as satisfying as page 187."

Smirking again, Booth asked, "Satisfying for who, the reader or Kathy?"

Brennan laughed. "I guess you'll just have to read for yourself to find out!"

Booth bumped her shoulder with his own. "Does that mean you're going to let me read this one before its published?"

"Not a chance, Booth." She laughed leaning back and crossing her legs not realizing the new expanse of leg her movement had revealed as the silk lightly slipped away.

Booth, hardly able to tear his eyes away from the newly exposed skin before she had noticed his ogling, replied jokingly, "I mean, Angela gets to read every book, I'm just asking to read this one!"

She took another sip of her wine and teasingly replied, "Yes, but I also pay her 15% for her opinion."

Booth smiled and gently slapped her bare knee with his open hand. "And see, I would give you my opinion for free!"

"Well, what's that saying...'you get what you pay for'?" Brennan asked as she laughed.

Booth couldn't help but laugh also. "That hurts Bones, it really does. Jeez and you get that expression right?! Come on!"

They both sat back and enjoyed the comfortable silence between the two of them, both realizing just how much they had missed these late night shared snacks.

:P:P:P:P:P:P:P

As Booth strode into the lab Monday afternoon, he couldn't ever remember being more excited for a Monday. It had been a great weekend and he couldn't wait to see Bones again. Friday, he had spent the night getting caught up with his friends which had been followed by a very revealing conversation with his best friend. The night had restored his faith in love and had renewed his conviction to make his dream of sharing his life with the most amazing woman he had ever met a reality…eventually, that is.

Then Saturday, Bones had taken a break, yes the woman who doesn't take breaks had _taken a break_ , to spend some time with him and his son. But the best had been Sunday night. There had been takeout, some classic Brennan-Booth banter and, oh god, a very sexy silk clad Temperance Brennan. It took everything in him to stop his hand from reaching out and finding out how silky the skin of her beautiful long legs actually was.

The night had been perfect. They had finished their food and she had walked him to the door where she had leaned against the frame and had told him that this had been the best weekend she had had in a long time. He had then agreed and had pulled her into a hug. She had sighed contentedly in his arms and he couldn't ever remember being so satisfied in all his life. Even if periodically holding Temperance Brennan was all he ever got to do, he would be happy. Finally, he had pulled away from her with difficulty, had gently squeezed her hand, and had wished her good night, before turning and leaving.

It had been amazing...and now as he leaned in the doorway of her office watching her type intensely on her computer, he knew he could never deny his true feelings for her again. She was everything he needed and wanted. He couldn't imagine her being more beautiful then she was right now...

...and then she looked up at him and instantly her stern intense facial expression gave way to a beautiful, genuine smile that lit up her entire face and Booth now knew what perfection actually looked like.

"Hello." She said sweetly and almost shyly. He watched as her eyes scanned him up and down and a slight blush coloured her cheeks as she quickly looked away.

He felt like his heart was about to burst. He couldn't help but chuckle a little when he realized that Temperance Brennan was checking him out and if the blush was any indication, she liked what she saw. Yes, they were definitely moving in the right direction.

Booth smiled back at her. "Hey." He pushed off of the door jam and began walking towards her until he was able to lean back and almost sit on her desk right beside her.

"So, whatcha workin' on?" Booth asked as he nudged her knee with his own.

Brennan smiled as she realized how long it had been since he had been this relaxed in her office. She leaned back in her chair and softly replied, "Wendell asked me to read the first chapter of his thesis and provide feedback. He referenced Plato and I was just verifying his accuracy."

"Wendell's writing about Play-Doh? Parker used to love that stuff!" Booth replied straight faced.

"No Booth, Plato, the Greek..." her sentence trailed off as she saw him smirk. "You're teasing me." She said with a roll of the eyes trying to hide her own amusement.

"I've been known to do that from time to time."

Brennan laughed. "I hope we don't have a case because if we do my remains are being compromised as we speak."

"No case. I was just on my way to Parker's school for parent teacher interviews and thought I would stop by on my way just to say hello and see if you wanted to grab a drink later or something."

Brennan couldn't help the smile that lit up her face, until she remembered she already had someplace else she had to be. "Actually I already have plans." She responded hesitantly.

Booth tried to hide his disappointment but knew he wasn't doing a very good job of it. He couldn't help but ask, "Oh yeah? Mr. Politics taking you out for a night on the town?"

Brennan's brows furrowed in confusion. "Mr. Politics?"

"Yeah, you know, that political correspondent from the Post."

Brennan's brow relaxed as she realized who Booth was referring to and then laughed softly at the nickname. "I am not going out with Michael, or Mr. Politics as you call him, Booth. In fact, I informed him after that first date that I was not interested in pursuing a romantic or sexual relationship with him."

Booth smirked. "Really, Bones? He seemed like a nice enough guy." He added half heartedly.

"Yes, he was nice...do you think I should rethink my decision?" Brennan asked sarcastically.

"No, no, no Bones. Go with your gut on this one." He replied quickly smiling.

Brennan shook her head gently. "No tonight, I promised Angela and Cam that I would have dinner with them."

Booth feigned shock, "you are giving up a drink with me for dinner with coworkers?"

"Listen G-man, we are way more than just co-workers…so don't even try to convince her to ditch us." Angela announced with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Yeah Seeley, Dr. Brennan is ours tonight. Deal with it." Booth's oldest friend chimed in.

Booth smiled at the two women standing in the doorway and stood slowly with his hands in the air in defeat. "Alright, alright. I give up…for tonight." And turning to Brennan added, "but tomorrow is a brand new day, Bones, and you and I are going to the Founding Fathers tomorrow night."

Brennan laughed. "Fine."

Booth clapped his hands together and headed for the door. "Good. Ok, well I have to get to Parker's school so I will see you ladies tomorrow." He turned and smiled at Brennan. "Have a good time."

"Don't worry Booth. We will." Angela said as she gave the agent a gentle push out the door.

Brennan watched Booth until he was out of sight and smiled. He seemed happy and she was part of the reason why. She couldn't read people very well but she knew Booth well enough to know that he enjoyed being around her. She could work with that.

She took a deep breath and looked up to her two friends who were staring at her smirking. Realizing she had been caught staring, she cleared her throat and turned to turn off her computer. "Ready to go?" She asked trying to sound nonchalant as she stood to get her jacket and purse.

Cam couldn't suppress her laughter. "You've gotta be kidding Dr. Brennan! You honestly expect us to not comment on that."

Angela joined in the laughter. "Seriously, sweetie?"

Brennan replied steely, "I assure you both that there is nothing to discuss."

"Right..." Both friends yelped in disbelief.

Annoyed, Brennan simply asked, "can we just go to dinner please?"

The three friends left the Jeffersonian two of which were still laughing.

:P:P:P:P:P:P

It was 6:55 and they had agreed to meet at the Founding Fathers at 7. As Booth exited his vehicle and made his way across the street he saw her through the window sitting at the end of the bar with a glass of wine waiting for him. He had been looking forward to this all day. She was here…waiting for him.

As he opened the door she turned and smiled at him broadly and he knew that although it felt like a dream it most certainly wasn't. He smiled back and immediately noticed how gorgeous she was. She had a deep burgundy sleeveless wrap dress with a simple black stiletto heel. Her hair was down and flow-y just the way Booth liked it, and her makeup was fresh and light making her look even younger than she already was. He smiled widely enjoying the fact that he would be the only one who would be enjoying some one-on-one time with Bones tonight.

Brennan's breath hitched as she too took in the vision of her partner and couldn't help but notice just how sexy he was in his fitted jeans and his dark blue dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves just enough to show off his tattoos. God she loved those tattoos. Every time they were on display she had to resist the temptation of reaching out and running her fingers over them.

"Hi." She offered sweetly.

"Hi. You look amazing Bones." He said not even trying to hide his appreciation for how gorgeous he thought she was as he slid onto the stool next to hers. It was obvious, that like him, she had gone home and changed.

"Thank you. You look quite appealing as well, Booth." She smiled and took a sip of her wine. "How was the meeting at Parker's school with Rebecca?"

Booth smiled sweetly at his beautiful partner, his heart warming with the knowledge that she had a genuine interest and love for his son. "It was really good. The teachers all said that Parker is a great kid, which I already knew, but also said he's excelling in all of his classes especially in science and math." Booth leaned over and nudged Brennan with his shoulder with his own. "That Jeffersonian enrichment program seems to be doing the trick!"

Brennan softly chuckled. "He's a very intelligent young man, Booth. He gets that from you, the enrichment program only enhances the intelligence he already has."

Booth smiled shyly, "Well, whatever the reason, he's doing really well. So thank you for everything you've done for him."

Brennan tilted her head one side and gave him one of her half smiles that he always finds adorable. "I love spending time with Parker. I'm happy to be of assistance." She motioned to the bartender. "You want a drink, Booth"

"Absolutely." Booth turned and ordered a beer. "So, did you have fun last night with Angela and Cam?"

"I did. We went out to dinner at that new martini bar on G Street. Angela said we just HAD to go there because she heard it was the new 'it' spot." She used air quotations to emphasize the 'it'.

"And was it?" Booth asked sipping on his beer.

"I don't know what 'it' means in that context but Angela and Cam seemed to like it." They both looked at each other and chuckled; Booth laughing at her always adorable and charming lack of colloquial recognition and Brennan because she always found it difficult not to join Booth in his joy.

Through her laughter she said, "It was quite enjoyable to spend time with them." She stopped short of telling him that she had been bombarded by their friend's unrelenting questions about their relationship and admitting that it had gotten quite tiring by the end of the night. "Cam mentioned that she and Paul have been talking about marriage."

Booth took a swig of his beer. "Did you successfully talk her out of it?"

Bones stopped mid sip and looked at her partner confused. "Why would I do that?"

Booth laughed. "Oh come on Bones, everyone knows that you don't believe in the 'antiquated ritual'"

"Yes, well it is an antiquated ritual."

"See!" Booth exclaimed.

"...but..." Bones began with emphasis. "it doesn't mean I don't see any kind of merit in it in certain circumstances."

Booth looked at her shocked. "Since when? You have always said that those that 'engaged in it do so because they have given into societal pressure'."

"Some people do. That's why half of all marriages end in divorce. However, I do concede that in those cases in which couples chose to marry for rational reasons I find myself in support of the institution."

Booth shook his head as if he could not believe what he was hearing. "So if two people have rational reason for getting married you believe that marriage isn't so bad?"

"That is correct."

"Ok. What exactly do you consider rational reasons for marrying?"

"Well, for the legal rights that come with marriage like tax breaks."

At that Booth almost spit out the beer he had in his mouth as he heartily laughed. "Tax breaks?! You would marry someone for the tax breaks? Wouldn't it be easier to tax shelter you money?"

"Well…" just as Brennan began to answer both of their phones began ringing.

Less than a minute later they were hanging up their phones as Booth turned to Brennan and asked, "Guy in teeny tiny bits?"

"Well it is too early to determine if the victim is a man or a woman, but the teeny tiny bits is correct."

The partners left the pub with Booth leading Brennan out the door with his hand securely in the spot he had claimed as his own so many years ago on her lower back.

:P:P:P:P:P

The Nats' game had been on for the last 2 hours. They were losing...badly. Booth had watched games like this hundreds of times and normally by this point he was at least 4 beers in and was yelling at his television. But tonight he had hardly watched the game. His eyes were fixated on the screen but he wouldn't have been able to tell you how the Braves had scored any of their eleven runs. There was only one half filled bottle of beer on the coffee table in front of him. The problem was he couldn't seem to get the image of Temperance Brennan out of his head.

He hadn't seen her since Tuesday night, the night they had met for drinks and then had been rudely interrupted by a dead body that, after 3 hours at a crime scene was deemed to be a victim of terrible accident involving an industrial paper shredder. By the time they were done at the scene it was late and he could tell she was exhausted and so he didn't suggest resuming their night out. They made plans, instead to meet for lunch the next day.

He sighed deeply. Had he known that one of Bones' colleagues at NYU would have a terrible case of food poisoning, preventing him from delivering the key note speech at a conference being held at UCLA and that Dr. Temperance Brennan would be called in at the last minute to take his place sending her to California for the next three days, Booth would have ignored how tired she looked and would have driven straight to Founding Fathers for the drink they had promised each other they would share that night.

But he hadn't known any of that until he arrived at the lab early the next morning and was told by Cam that Brennan had left her a message saying that she had received an early morning phone call and was at that moment on a plane to LA and would not be back until about 2 hours before the awards banquet on Friday. He had a meeting for a couple of hours later that afternoon and when he checked his phone at the end of the meeting he saw that Bones had tried calling him. She had left a message telling him what she had already told Cam and said that she would be at the conference for the rest of the day and would be going out to dinner with some of her colleagues later that night and so would not be reachable by phone for the rest of the day. Booth had tried calling her earlier in the day without luck and was currently sulking.

He felt pathetic. He had been away from Bones for longer than this and although he always hated it, he had never been this desperate just to hear her voice.

...Then his phone rang and his stormy disposition was instantly lifted when he saw the name 'Bones' flash across his caller display.

"Hey, Bones." He answered cheerily after only one ring.

"Hi, Booth. I'm not waking you up am I?" She asked, not really worried.

"No, I'm just watching the ballgame."

"Oh, well I can always just talk to you tomorrow then." She hesitated not sure if she was bothering him or not.

Booth sat up quickly from his lounging position, grabbed the remote and turned off the television. "No." He replied almost too quickly. "No. I'm glad you called."

There were a few seconds of heavy silence before Brennan started "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going out of town before I left but I was called very early on Wednesday and I knew how exhausted you had been the night before. I didn't want to wake you up...I didn't want to bother you."

Booth leaned back into his couch. "No worries Bones...and just for future reference, you can wake me up whenever you want and it wouldn't bother me."

There was a heavy silence before Booth decided to lighten the mood. "So how is sunny California?"

He heard Bones sigh. "Highly overrated. I've spent all of my time listening to poorly prepared presentations and engaging in mundane conversation with highly uninteresting people."

Booth softly laughed. "Sounds like a blast." He replied sarcastically.

"Any cases while I've been away?"

"Nope...and no late night Thai food either...DC isn't nearly as much fun when you're not here. When do you get back?"

"My plane lands at 4."

"Need a ride?" he asked hopefully.

"Thank you, but Angela is picking me up and bringing me my dress for tomorrow night. There wouldn't be enough time to pick it up after I land and get to the dinner on time...That was actually one of the reasons I was calling...I wanted to make sure that you hadn't forgotten about the awards dinner."

"Oh, is that tomorrow night?" Booth asked teasingly.

"Booth! I told you to mark it on your calendar. You need to start using a day planner. You are awful at remembering da...wait you're teasing me again, aren't you?" Brennan asked suspiciously.

Booth laughed whole heartedly. "Bones I told you, I wouldn't miss it! I'll be there to cheer on my favourite forensic anthropologist as she accepts her 'scientist of the year' trophy."

"I don't actually get a trophy, Booth." Brennan chortled at the thought.

There was another moment of silence.

"Well, I know it's late there, so I'll let you get to bed." Brennan said almost sadly.

"Hey Bones?"

"Yes?"

"What was the other reason?"

There was a slight pause. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"You said that one of the reasons you called was to remind me about the dinner...what was the other reason?"

There was another pause on the line.

"Well...like I said I've spent the last 2 days having less than enjoyable conversation with less than interesting colleagues and I...was in need of some intellectual stimulation."

Booth couldn't wipe the wide grin off his face. The translation of that long squint ramble was that she had missed him. It was embarrassing how giddy he felt at that moment. After a short silence Booth replied, "I miss you too, Bones." He added cockily.

He could hear the smile and the rolling of her eyes in her voice when she sighed and said, "I'll see you tomorrow Booth."

"Goodnight Bones. Sleep tight."

"Thanks, you too."

Booth heard her hang up the phone. Yep...his sulking was officially over.


	14. Chapter 14: Scientist of the Year

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 14: Scientist of the Year

Temperance Brennan stood in front of her full length mirror tilting her head to the side, scrutinizing her appearance. She had purchased the dress at the advice of Angela. When she had tried it on in the store she had immediately thought it was 'too much' for an awards dinner, but Angela had convinced her that, as the guest of honour, she needed to stand out from the crowd. And stand out she would, she feared.

It was a black silk floor-length thick strapped gown that plunged in the front displaying a fair bit of cleavage and left her back completely bare until just above the curve of her gluteus maximus. The silk hugged every curve perfectly and the thigh high slit on the side allowed for a glimpse of leg and black peek-a-boo stiletto with every step. Her hair was swept up in a sophisticated large curl up-do and her makeup was clean and fresh with the exception of her smoky eye make-up that made her blue eyes even more striking. The long delicate necklace looped unevenly around her neck, hung sexily in the valley between her breasts.

Looking at herself in the mirror she had to admit that she enjoyed the whole effect. Angela had been right about how sexy this dress was. As her best friend said, it would definitely make men drool. The smirk that she saw on her face only widened as she thought of the only man she wanted drooling after her.

She had felt the need to phone him last night and as soon as she heard his voice she was glad she had. Forty-eight hours was a long time to go without talking to the person you were in love with. Her smile became even wider as she realized what she had just thought. Yes, Booth was the man she was in love with. The woman who didn't even believe in love until a few short years ago was in love with her partner.

She smiled as she remembered the conversation.

She laughed at how a little over a week ago she had been dreading this evening because she thought she would have to watch Booth with Hannah all night but now she was so excited to spend the night with Booth and to…what had he called it?...take a few spins around the dance floor with him?

She couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Booth would be there, alone, looking gorgeous in a tux and cocky belt buckle. He would ask her to dance, he would find little reasons to touch her and maybe, just maybe, he might look at her as if there was no other woman in the room. This might be another step in the right direction.

There was a knock at the door. She looked at herself in the mirror and placed her large chunky silver bangle on her left wrist, grabbed her black clutch and went to let Max in.

:P:P:P:P:P:P:P

Booth was standing at the entrance of the ballroom, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. He was running late because of a tux emergency and had missed the 'cocktail hour'. Guests were already starting to find their seats for dinner. He looked to the front of the room and saw Hodgins, Angela, Sweets and Daisy already seated at the table closest to the stage. He could see Cam trying to make her way through the crowd to that same table and so headed over to greet is friends. He had yet to spot Bones.

"G-man! We didn't think you were going to make it."

"Yeah, well the cleaners misplaced my jacket. I had to wait around as they went through everything…then I couldn't find my cufflinks…Its been one of those days." He grumbled as he arrived to the table. "Is Bones here yet?" He asked as he scanned the crowd again.

Angela smiled knowingly. "Oh, she's around."

"Trust me, Agent Booth, you won't be able to miss her." Sweets laughed and got a swift punch to the gut by his girlfriend after which he mumbled "Daisy, I told you that you look hot too."

Booth, not really paying any attention to what was being said, huffed when yet another scan didn't help in his search for Bones. He returned his attention to his table of friends who had now all pulled up a seat. There were only three chairs left. He pulled out one of them and sat down and turned to Angela who was sitting on his right and asked curiously. "So, where's Bones?"

Angela smiled. She could tell how excited he was to see her…and she loved it. "She's around." She replied again with a smirk.

He huffed like a disappointed child, took a sip of the wine that had just been delivered to the table and continued scanning the crowd.

All of a sudden he felt a hand on his shoulder and a male voice said loud enough for everyone around the table to hear, "How's my favourite arresting officer?"

Booth quickly turned and saw Max Keenan standing behind him smiling. Booth didn't think he had ever been so happy to see Bones' father...it meant Bones was close by. He rose quickly and shook his hand. "Max! Good to see you again. So you get the privilege of escorting the guest of honour tonight, huh?" He asked jovially.

"You bet, Booth. She finally took pity on me and asked me if I wanted to come."

Brennan appeared from behind Max and added, "He begged me and I relented."

Booth shifted his gaze to Bones, and as Max moved out of the way to take his seat next to Sweets, he took in the vision that was his partner. His jaw hit the floor. Their friends watched his reaction to her with amusement. "Wow...Bones...you look...wow."

Bones smiled shyly. "Thank you. And you look very good too. I especially like the cocky belt buckle. It really brings the whole outfit together." Everyone laughed.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't like the way he was looking at her. There was a heat in his gaze that was making her forget her own name. She broke the stare and made a move to take her seat in between Booth and her father. Booth moved quickly to pull out her chair and went to steady her with his hand on the small of her back and was startled by the feeling of warm silky skin under the total expanse of his hand. He automatically leaned back to see where his hand had landed only to be greeted with a completely bare back and again a quiet "wow" escaped his lips before he could stop it. Brennan turned to look at Booth.

"So, you like the dress?" She asked smiling.

Booth smiled smugly back. "The only thing missing is a cocky belt buckle and it would be perfect."

Brennan laughed "I'll keep that in mind."

Conversations started up again around the table and Booth leaned in to say quietly in his partner's ear, "Listen Bones, sorry I'm late. I had issues with my tux. The drycleaner misplaced my jacket and it took them forever to find it."

Bones waved off any explanation and smiled. "It's fine Booth. You didn't miss the important part." She reached up and gently adjusted his tie. "Besides, the tux was worth the wait."

They both looked at each other and smiled. "I'm glad you're back Bones. Life just isn't as good when you aren't around."

Bones smiled sweetly. "It is good to be home."

They both sat silently staring at each other smiling sweetly until the meal was delivered a few minutes later breaking their moment.

The food was fantastic and the whole group was having a great time. The topics of conversation flowed seamlessly from one topic to the next with everyone around the table participating.

"So sweetie, who's presenting you with the award tonight?"

"I don't know. I asked but no one would tell me. It's probably someone I've never even really met. That's the thing I hate most about these award dinners. They always pick the worst person possible to present the actual award. They never have anything meaningful to say and always tell the most inappropriate stories."

Booth laughed "Oh come on, they can't be that bad."

"No, Dr. Brennan is right" chimed in Sweets. "It's always like the one professor from university that you hated."

"Or the colleague that you've only ever talk to at the Christmas party after a few drinks" laughed Hodgins.

"I'm serious, Booth. The worst one was a couple of years ago. They selected one of my students to present the award. What they didn't realize was that it was the same student who I had caught plagiarizing the day before."

The table gave a unified gasp and then laughter erupted.

"Well, Bones, maybe tonight they'll surprise you with picking the perfect person." Booth nudged her arm playfully.

"Highly doubtful Booth." She smiled back.

Max watched the interaction between his daughter and Booth. It reminded him of himself and his wife. They had been complete opposites too, but had made it work and were incredibly happy together. That was all he wanted for Temperance. He really liked Booth and thought he was definitely the man who could make Tempe as happy as she deserved to be especially since he had learned from his daughter that the agent had finally gotten rid of his blonde girlfriend. He would never understand how two such intelligent people could be so dumb about matters of their own heart. Everyone around the table could see just by the way the two were looking at each other that they were completely in love. He had watched for years as these two danced around each other and he was getting impatient. And as he looked around the table he could tell that he was not the only one that was feeling that way as the entire group kept eyeing the seemingly unaware couple.

As the MC took the stage, Brennan shifted her attention to him as he began talking about the importance of the evening and the history of the award she was about to receive. She always hated the public-ness of awards. She enjoyed having her work recognized but the public presentation of the award always made her uneasy. She felt this uneasiness increase as she continued to listen to the speaker introduce the award.

Brennan shifted in her chair and as she went to lean back she felt Booth's hand gently touch the small of her back. Brennan looked over at Booth who was smiling encouragingly and reassuringly at her. How was he able to always do that? It was like he could sense when she needed him and knew exactly how to comfort her. That was just one of the many things she loved about him. Calm settled over her and she smiled back at him unable to hide her appreciation. Booth let his hand slip away as they both turned their attention back to the speaker.

"There was little doubt as to who we would choose to be this year's recipient. It is rare to find a person that has contributed so much to her field of study and to the community as a whole. Temperance Brennan is truly an inspiration to us all." The room of about 250 people clapped as he continued. "With such an impressive honouree it was important to us to get the right person to present the award."

Brennan sighed deeply. Here we go, she thought.

"We wanted someone who could not only comment on the honouree's professional accomplishments but also someone who could give us a glimpse at the woman behind them. What better person to offer us this glimpse than the person who works with her on an almost daily basis and who has been there to share the accomplishments with her for the last 6 years? We were thrilled when this person enthusiastically agreed to present this award tonight without any hesitation."

Brennan felt her heart stop and her mouth open in surprise as she quickly realized who the presenter must be.

"Please help me welcome this year's award presenter, Dr. Brennan's partner, FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth." The crowd applauded as Booth rose to his feet. As he walked behind her on his way to the stage, he reached out and gently squeezed Brennan's shoulder. She could do nothing but watch in shock as he took to the stage. She didn't even notice the overwhelming excitement of her friends gathered around the table and Angela sliding one seat over so she could sit next to her.

"Oh sweetie, this is going to be soooooo good!" Angela squealed excitedly.

Brennan simply laughed nervously as she watched Booth shake hands with the first speaker.

Booth took his place behind the microphone and looked down at Bones and smiled in amusement as she sent him one of those Bones smiles that he loved so much. He gently cleared his throat before beginning.

"When the American Association of Anthropology contact me a few months ago and asked me if I would consider presenting this award to my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan I was excited to do it...It was only as I sat down to figure out what to say that the panic set in." The audience softly laughed. "As I'm sure Dr. Brennan can attest, I know very little about anthropology or about academics or literature. So the task of introducing a world renowned anthropologist and academic and best selling author was a little daunting."

"But as I started jotting a few things down I began to realize that despite everything I _don't_ know about those topics, I _do_ know quite a bit about Dr. Brennan which is, I think, more important. So I thought I would share some of what I know with you tonight."

Booth looked down to his table of friends. They were all smiling up at him especially Brennan who had not taken her eyes off of him since he had started to speak.

"I have listened to Temperance Brennan lecture to groups larger than this. I have listened to her anthropologically explain thousands of scenarios to me over lunches at diners or over take-out from Wong Foos. I may not understand most of what she's talking about..." again soft laughter from the audience. "...but I do _know_ how captivating she is when she speaks so passionately about her love of everything anthropological. I would never admit it outside of this room and will probably deny ever admitting it tonight, but even though I groan outwardly, inwardly I actually love it when she starts any sentence with 'Actually Booth, anthropologically speaking...'"

The crowd erupted in laughter and a spattering of applause could be heard mostly from the front table. Above all of the other laughter he heard his partner's husky laugh. The laugh that he loved so much.

"I have seen her interact with her students. I have watched her direct and correct her interns on hundreds of occasions. I may not be able to identify the pedagogical methods she uses but I do see how excited each intern is when Dr. Brennan allows them to even just share space with her on the forensic platform or the pride each intern exudes when she acknowledges how impressive their work is. I _know_ , probably even better than Dr. Brennan, how much she means to her students and how much she inspires each of them." Out of the corner of his eye, Booth saw Daisy turning to Sweets and emphatically nodding her agreement.

"I may not be able to completely appreciate the intricacies and subtleties of her writing...but really, why should I have to when I _know_ the real life Andy?" He finished his last sentence with his cocky grin in place and both of his hands up indicating himself. As the crowd laughed he looked to Bones who was grinning and gently shaking her head in amusement.

As the crowd quieted down he continued. "Yes, I _know_ Dr. Temperance Brennan the forensic anthropologist, the professor, the author but most importantly, I _know_ Temperance Brennan, the woman...I call her 'Bones'" He sent her his best charm smile "...and I can assure you that 'Bones' is even more impressive than Dr. Brennan."

He looked down and saw Angela gently elbowing her best friend and loving every second of this. Booth couldn't help but chuckle as he continued.

"When I met her, I immediately knew that Bones was not your average woman. Even from our first conversation I realized that I was dealing with a brilliant, fiercely independent, frustratingly stubborn and incredibly strong woman who had absolutely no patience for arrogant, equally stubborn, and slightly chauvinistic FBI agents that interrupt her lectures." The crowd laughed softly. "She was all about logic and rationality and I was all about instinct and heart. With two such strong and very different personalities, it shouldn't surprise anyone that our partnership wasn't smooth sailing from the very beginning. We spent our first case arguing constantly and trying to prove each other wrong." He paused as if thinking about it. "Actually, I guess things haven't really changed all that much in 6 years." The audience, including Brennan, laughed again.

"My ego never would have allowed me to admit it then, but..." Booth focused on Brennan, "I loved every second of it...and I still do." The partners smiled at each other sweetly, a moment that was not lost on the audience as they applauded.

"We are as different as two people can be. In many ways I think that's why our partnership works so well. We complement each other." Booth took a deep breath. "Bones is my partner but also so much more. I have never met anyone like her. She makes me laugh harder than I ever thought possible, she keeps me grounded and makes sure my ego doesn't get too big, she reminds me every day that amid all the death and evil in the world there is still something innately good that exists and is worth fighting for. She challenges me. She questions me and my beliefs. She frustrates me beyond all reason." Booth looked down and smiled when he saw his partner smirking and sending him her famous raised eyebrow. "Because of all of this and not despite of it, she makes me a better agent, a better friend, a better father...a better man."

Max reached over and squeezed Tempe's hand.

Booth continued on, "I admire so much about her. I have been witness to the importance she places on justice, to the empathy she has towards the victims we work with, to the loyalty and love she has for her family and friends. Although she doesn't believe it, I can honestly say, that she has the biggest and most open heart of anyone I know. I can't imagine either my professional or my personal life without her. Tonight, you are honouring not merely a brilliant scientist, an inspiring teacher, and a successful author but we also honour an amazing woman who makes our world better by merely sharing herself with the rest of us."

He looked down to see Brennan trying to inconspicuously wipe away a tear.

"She is, in one word..." He looked directly at Bones, "...extraordinary."

Booth could see that Brennan was having difficulty hiding her vulnerable side and he loved it. She looked even more gorgeous this way. He smiled down at her and she returned it without hesitation.

"So, I am honoured and proud to present this year's award to my partner and my best friend, to Bones, or as the rest of the world knows her, to Dr. Temperance Brennan."

The crowd enthusiastically applauded as Brennan made her way to the stage. Booth walked to the stairs and offered her his hand to steady her as she took each step and she graciously accepted. As soon as she was standing next to him she gave into her overwhelming urge and she reached out and pulled him into a hug. Actually, her overwhelming urge was to kiss him until they both passed out from lack of air but she settled for the hug and enjoyed how he instinctually wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He whispered in her ear. "Congratulations, Bones. I'm so proud of you."

Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. She had never been someone to seek out the approval of others but the joy that she felt when he had told her that she had his approval was overwhelming and more satisfying than receiving any award in the world. She whispered back. "Thank you, Booth."

Aware of all of the eyes that were fixed on them at that moment, she begrudgingly pulled away but not before she felt Booth kiss her lightly on the cheek. She looked into his eyes and he sent her his best charm smile. She squeezed his hand that now was in her own, took a deep breath and turned to make her way to the podium while Booth made his way back to his seat that had now been vacated by Angela.

As he sat down Max leaned over and stated with a wink and a smile, "I guess you aren't so stupid after all."

Booth just laughed and replied, "Nope, and I'm definitely not gay either." Max chuckled and punched him in the shoulder a little harder than necessary. Booth looked over to Cam who raised her wine glass in a cheers-like motion and the two friends shared genuine smiles with each other.

Booth's eyes went directly to his partner who was now behind the microphone. He couldn't believe how gorgeous she was. He had never seen any woman so beautiful. And that dress? When he had seen her tonight it took everything in him not to take her in his arms and kiss her until they both ran out of air. He was brought out of his fantasy by his equally wonderful reality as his partner began to speak.

"I would first like to thank the AAA for this honour. There is no greater reward than being recognized by a group of your peers for the contribution you have made to a shared field of study." She paused and looked down to her table of friends and saw the pride shining in all of their eyes. She then focused on Booth who also was proudly watching her but there was also a heat present in his eyes that she had not seen in any of the other eyes around the table and she loved it. It gave her hope that maybe in the near future the pair could move to a partnership that wasn't just work related. She looked away in an effort not to be distracted from what she needed to say.

She took a deep breath. "On nights like these, I'm reminded of how fortunate I am. I am being honoured for a career that I love, one that allows me to conduct meaningful research while using my knowledge and skills everyday to give victims back their voices." She looked down to her table of friends and her eyes rested on Booth who was looking up at her adoringly. "And best of all, I get to work every day, side-by-side, with the people I care most about in this world." Booth's gentle smile warmed her heart.

"I initially took the position at the Jeffersonian because I believed it offered me exactly what I wanted; an opportunity to lock myself away in my office with my books and bones and conduct my own independent research. My work consumed my life. I was able to run away to places all over the world whenever I felt like I needed to. And I felt completely comfortable and happy being alone in my world of logic and reason. I didn't have to depend on anyone but myself and I liked it. It was easy. It was comfortable. It was the only thing I knew." She looked back down to her partner who was staring at her intensely. "But all that changed when a certain arrogant, stubborn, and _completely_ chauvinistic FBI special agent interrupted one of my lectures."

The crowd softly laughed and Booth shot her his cocky smirk.

"It was shortly after this that our crime fighting family was born. Each member is not only the best in their respective field but they are each one of my dearest friends and together we make up quite the dysfunctional family." The audience laughed. "They have each contributed in their own way to my pursuit of my work. They each have taught me so much and the lessons that I have received have influenced my work and the direction my career has taken and I need to take a few moments tonight to acknowledge each of them for that.

"First, Angela Montenegro, our facial reconstructionist, has taught me the importance of living wide." Brennan softly smiled as she took in her friend's ear-to-ear smile and the wink that was sent her way.

"Dr. Jack Hodgins, our entomologist, is a man that has shared with me his theory that as long as an experiment doesn't completely destroy the Jeffersonian it's worth doing." The audience erupted in laughter and Hodgins yelled 'King of the Lab' from his seat.

Brennan turned her attention to Cam and the two women shared warm, genuine smiles before Brennan said, "I thank Dr. Camille Saroyan, our pathologist, for showing me that different perspectives and different personalities definitely have a place in the pursuit of the truth."

Brennan next turned her attention to Sweets who was sitting proudly, ready for his acknowledgement. She couldn't hide her smirk as she began, "and Dr. Lance Sweets, our FBI profiler, I thank you for proving that baby ducks aren't always so bad." Booth couldn't stop the burst of laughter at both Bones' comment and Sweets' look of confusion. Everyone, including the psychologist, looked to Booth for explanation but he was too busy enjoying the inside joke he was sharing with his partner to even begin an explanation.

Brennan took a deep breath knowing that acknowledging the next person would be the most difficult and emotional for her. These were the exact situations that she had always tended to avoid. She looked down and made eye contact with her partner who was ignoring Sweets' attempt to get his attention and was instead staring back at her encouragingly.

"Agent Booth once told me that you can't learn everything from a book and the last 6 years has proven his theory correct. For instance, I still like locking myself away with my research but Booth has helped me realize that being a forensic anthropologist is not who I am...it's just one of the things I do. I still love to travel for my work but because of Booth...and the work we do together, I know I have something that I will always come back to and something that I miss desperately while I'm gone." She took a deep breath. "I am still fiercely independent but Booth has helped me realize that depending on and...needing someone else is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength."

She smiled down at her partner and her sweet smile turned into a mischievous one as she continued, "He is the best partner anyone could ever have...but just so it's clear he definitely was and still is more stubborn than I am." She loved seeing Booth's smirk break out into a full-blown smile as the crowd laughed and applauded.

"Earlier this evening I mentioned that I was anxious about the presentation of the award because I find the disingenuous compliments and insincere praise that quite often form the basis of the presentation speeches, tiresome. Organizations never seem to ask the appropriate person." She looked down at her hands and then back to her table of friends and specifically her partner who was staring at her expectantly. She took a steadying breath before she continued. "So tonight I, of course thank the AAA for this award but more importantly I thank them for not only picking the most appropriate person but the perfect person to present me with this award tonight.

"Over the last 6 years Booth and I have captured murderers together. We have laughed together...and argued together...a lot." The audience laughed. "We have celebrated together...we have mourned together. We have shared a lot of meals...We have saved each other's lives on more than one occasion. He is my partner, my best friend." She paused before continuing to make direct eye contact with her partner. "I don't know where my career or life will take me next but I do know that wherever it leads, I hope that Seeley Booth is there with me."

Booth smiled up at his partner and the warmth shining from his eyes made her heart melt.

When the applause died she continued. "Tonight, just as you honour me, I would like to honour two of the most important things in my life without which I wouldn't be the woman before you tonight. Not necessarily in this order, I honour the study of anthropology and my family...no matter how dysfunctional. Thank you all and enjoy the rest of the evening."

The audience was on their feet clapping as Brennan descended the steps and headed back over to her seat. Each of her friends gave her a hug and congratulated her for a job well done as she made her way back to her place at the table. There, waiting for her with arms wide open was Booth. She went into them easily and with her chin resting gently on his shoulder she closed her eyes and allowed herself the tiny indulgence to slowly move her hands up his back, feeling the hard muscle even through the tux jacket. She felt his hands splayed over the smooth skin of her bare back and his finger tips having slipped under the edges of her dress material gently resting along her sides. She released a deep sigh of contentment.

At first glance, the world saw a woman that was a no-nonsense brilliant scientist enveloped in logic and rationality. But then there was the woman that he currently held. The woman that melted into him at times like these. The woman that exuded warmth and vulnerability while still maintaining her strength. Booth loved the contradiction that was Temperance Brennan.

She reluctantly pulled back and looked him in his dancing brown eyes. She loved those eyes. She could spend the rest of her life looking into them.

"Congratulations, Bones. You deserve it." Booth smiled warmly at her as his hands found hers and gently squeezed them.

Brennan returned his smile and laughed, "Well, Booth, I am very impressive."

Booth laughed heartily. "Yes, you are, Bones. Yes, you are."

"Dr. Brennan!"

The pair automatically turned to see a small elderly man approaching them. Booth took a quick look at his partner and saw her steeling her features and taking a deep breath. Booth smirked as he released his partner's hands, annoyed by the interruption but finding Brennan's inability to hide her outright irritation adorable.

"Dr. Cartwright." Brennan greeted the older gentleman flatly.

"Congratulations!"

"Thank you." Brennan replied without enthusiasm.

"Dr. Weber and his wife are here tonight and they can't wait to meet you. Do you have a few minutes just to come over and say hello?" He asked hopefully.

Brennan hesitated before turning to Booth who was still standing right beside her. She looked at him apologetically and explained quietly, "Dr. Weber is the president of the American Association of Anthropologists. He has always been very supportive of all of my work..." she trailed off trying to explain the importance of meeting this particular colleague.

Booth held up his hand to stop her and gently shook his head. "Hey, Bones, you don't have to explain. I get it. You're 'scientist of the year'...the title comes with certain responsibilities...go do what you have to do...I can entertain myself for a while…and…" he leaned in a little closer and sent her his best charm smile, the one she couldn't resist and said, "I'll come and rescue you in a little bit." He reached out and lightly touched her arm supportively.

She smiled conspiratorially at him; and turned back to Dr. Cartwright. "It seems as though I have a couple of minutes to spare."

"Excellent! Follow me!" The older man turned and began leading the way.

Brennan began to follow him but then turned back and quickly walked back to the table to fetch her full glass of wine and as she passed Booth who was laughing she touched his shoulder and quietly said, "When you come to rescue me in about 10 minutes, would you mind bringing me a refill?"

Booth continued to laugh while nodding. "I've got you covered, Bones."

:P:P:P:P:P:P:P

It had been a great night. They had danced. They had laughed with each other…a lot. They had been the Booth and Brennan of old and although Booth couldn't deny his disappointment when the evening came to a close and she made her way to her dad who had just pulled the car around front, he also couldn't deny how good it felt when, as she slowly pulled away from his embrace before getting in the sporty Audi, he felt her gently brush a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Booth, I…" she said blushing slightly as she averted her gaze as she gathered her thoughts. Booth waited patiently for her to continue and his breath hitched as her crystal blue eyes finally reconnected with his and a shy smile graced her lips. God, she was gorgeous. If only she knew the power those eyes and that smile had over him. "Thank you…for coming tonight and…for everything you said. It was a lovely evening."

Booth nodded. "Yeah, well like I said, I couldn't miss my partner getting the scientist of the year award."

They both chuckled quietly.

"Well, thank you all the same." She replied good-naturedly as she reached and opened the front door of Max's car.

"Ah, Bones?" Booth reached out and touched Brennan's arm just before she closed the door behind her. The anthropologist turned to her partner expectantly.

"I meant everything I said up there, Bones. I'm a lucky man to have you in my life."

Brennan smiled, "We are both quite fortunate."

"I really feel lucky to have you in my life too, Booth. I mean, if you were wondering." Max's teasing voice came from the driver's seat.

Brennan laughed while Booth laughingly shook his head and sighed.

"Thanks, Max."

"Good night, Booth." Brennan said as she closed the door behind her and waved.

Booth sent her his best charm smile as he returned her wave and watched her drive off into the night.

"So, Booth, that was quite the speech tonight."

The agent was pulled out of his reverie as he realized that his partner's best friend was standing next to him eyeing him knowingly with her famous smirk.

Booth looked back to where he had last seen Max's car before it disappeared from view and smiled wistfully.

Angela took a step closer to the FBI agent. "You know, Brennan told me about you and Hannah."

Booth nodded but continued to stare straight ahead. "Hannah is an amazing person."

Angela nodded silently.

"But, Bones is…"

"…extraordinary?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah." He turned towards Angela who was smiling at him with understanding.

"We're all pulling for the two of you. You both deserve to be happy."

Before Booth could respond, Hodgins exited the convention centre. "Angela! There you are. Ready to call it a night?"

Booth and Angela exchanged one last smile before the artist turned to her husband. "Yes! And I have had a couple glasses slash bottles of champagne and you know what too much champagne does to me." The couple snuggled up close and immediately forgot that Booth was still there.

Nuzzling his wife's neck he mumbled, "Of course I do, Angie. Why do you think I came to find you?"

"Ok Ok. I'm out of here!" Booth cried with false exasperation.

As the agent walked to his car he heard the giggles of his partner's best friend and her husband yell playfully, "King of the Lab!".


	15. Chapter 15: The First Date

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

Rated M for later chapters

Chapter 15: A First Date

Booth had once told Dr. Gordon Gordon that he would know if Brennan loved him…and after last night, if Brennan had been any other woman, Booth would have been confident in the knowledge that she was, at the very least, open to the possibility. There had been so many lingering gazes. They had both become bolder and more sure in their touches as the evening progressed and they had flirted shamelessly despite being in earshot of all of their closest friends and colleagues.

But Dr. Temperance Brennan was not 'any other woman' and 20 minutes after having walked into the diner to meet his gorgeous partner for lunch, Booth's confidence was wavering.

The hope and excitement that Booth had walked in with slowly began to dissipate when he had seen his partner stiffen as he approached the table. He was further discouraged by Brennan's inability to return his smile with any amount of enthusiasm when he joined her at the table. But panic really began to set in when Brennan had launched into a discussion about the latest academic journal she was reading before he was even able to say hello.

Booth was currently trying to decipher the academic jargon she was heaping on him which was difficult considering his mind was reeling as it tried to reconcile the wonderfully responsive and flirtatious memory of the Bones from last night and the woman that now sat in front of him.

Booth sighed deeply trying to steel his nerves. There was no way he could have misread her intentions last night…could he? No. Even his emotionally complicated partner couldn't deny that they had been on the verge of something special last night. So what was happening in that beautiful head of hers?

Booth didn't want to scare her off but as he looked at the woman sitting in front of him who had yet to make any real eye contact with him and who was pushing the food around on her plate without having eaten a single bite, he decided that he needed to take control of the situation before the magic from the night before was completely forgotten by them both.

Brennan was mid sentence when Booth reached out and gently placed his hand over hers. Brennan immediately stopped talking and just stared at their hands and at his thumb lightly rubbing her fingertips.

Booth watched as she slowly closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath before reopening them and looking directly into his own.

The FBI agent smiled nervously at her and Brennan slowly returned it with a sweet one of her own.

"Bones, although I normally enjoy listening to your anthropological gobbledegook, I need to interrupt you."

Brennan made a confused face as he said 'gobbledegook', but stayed silent waiting for him to continue. Booth took it as a good sign when she made no effort to remove her hand from under his.

"I just want to make sure that I tell you how much fun I had with you last night. I mean it Bones, I loved just…being us last night. You know?"

The panic that he had seen in Brennan's eyes when he first sat down was now replaced with the softness and tenderness she had reserved for him over the years. Brennan slowly smiled and turned the hand under Booth's over so that she could actually hold his.

She took a deep breath and quietly said, "Although the words you used are quite ambiguous in their meaning, I believe I understand the sentiment and would have to agree. It still surprises me how even the most mundane of all activities are enjoyable when we do them together."

Booth couldn't help the goofy grin that spread across his face at her words. A warmth spread through him as he took in her lightly blushing cheeks. She had no idea how incredible she was.

This was what he had expected their lunch today to be like. After not having any eye contact for the first part of their meal they were now staring at each other intently with the same heat that had been there the night before and smiling at each other like two people who couldn't help themselves.

Unfortunately, Sweets chose that moment to phone. Booth gently grunted his displeasure and took her hand in both of his and squeezed it lightly before begrudgingly releasing it to answer his phone.

After a brief conversation with the psychologist, Booth put some cash down on the table for the food and stood, "I gotta head back, Bones. Cullins wants to see Sweets and me about a file in twenty minutes."

Brennan nodded slowly and Booth loved that she seemed disappointed to see him leave. He reached out his hand to help Bones out of her seat and as their hands touched, the spark that shot through Booth couldn't be ignored. Not wanting the contact to end, he tightened his grip on her hand and led her out of the restaurant.

Outside the diner, Booth wanted nothing more than to hold onto this woman forever and was pleasantly surprised when he felt Brennan gently pulling him in for a hug. Booth didn't hesitate to pull her in even closer and wrap his arms around her middle while Brennan wrapped hers around his shoulders. "Thanks for lunch, Booth."

Booth smiled into her hair. "What are you doing tonight, Bones?"

Brennan slowly pulled her head back enough so that she could look at him and, smiling shyly said, "I was going to do some writing but I could be convinced to change my plans if you had another invitation for me to consider."

Booth knew this was it. Although his confidence had waned slightly upon his arrival at the diner, he knew that they had turned it around and that their lunch had finished up feeling more like a date than simply a lunch between friends. Even Temperance Brennan couldn't deny the electricity shooting back and forth between them.

Booth brought his hand up to push a piece of hair away from her face and let the back of his fingers gently caress down her cheek before he let it fall to his side.

"I want to take you out to dinner." He said simply and before she could answer he continued on. "And I want you to understand me so that there is no confusion." Booth kept his hands on her lower back and brought his forehead forward, resting it on her own and closed his eyes. "If you agree to go to dinner with me tonight, I need you to understand that it would be an actual date."

Booth felt her hands slip from his shoulders and move to his forearms and when he opened his eyes she was looking down at his tie and was trying to contain a smile by gently biting her lower lip. It took everything in him not to cover her lips with his own. This woman had no idea how sexy she was. Then those stunningly beautiful crystal blue eyes focused on his as she released her lip letting the full force of her smile hit him.

Booth took a deep breath and continued on, "I want to be able to pick you up and not have to hide how amazing I think you look. I want to be able to hold your hand as we walk to the car. I want to be able to put my arm around you at dinner and not care if there is an appropriate distance between us. I want to walk you to your door at the end of the evening knowing there is a good possibility that there will be a good night kiss."

Brennan gently nodded and, turning her head so that her mouth was right at his ear, softly said, "I believe I would enjoy those things as well. I'll be ready at 7." With that, she squeezed his forearms and slowly stepped out of his hold. Booth couldn't control the goose bumps that covered his body at her words and the smirk that took over his face as his partner walked away from him towards the Jeffersonian. Brennan looked back and sent him a small wave before she disappeared around the corner.

Booth had to tell himself to start walking. He felt giddy and numb all at the same time. How the hell was he going to get through this afternoon knowing that tonight he would finally have the first date he had been dreaming about for the last decade?

:P:P:P:P:P:P

Booth stood in front of his bathroom sink in only a pair of boxers patting aftershave on his newly shaven face. As he looked up and caught his reflection in the mirror, he paused to examine what he saw.

Initially, his eyes focused on the small wrinkles around his eyes and the few grey hairs that had recently appeared around his temples and he grimaced. But then his focus shifted to his actual eyes and the happiness and excitement that was clearly shining from them. The smile that seemed to be a constant fixture on his face lately also distracted him from everything else.

Booth rinsed his razor and headed to his room to get dressed. He reached into his closet and pulled out his new charcoal gray three piece suit. He couldn't remember ever being this happy.

He couldn't stop smiling. Over the last decade he had started to question whether this day would ever come, whether either one of them would ever be ready to take the next step in their relationship. But this morning, he had finally gotten up the nerve to ask her out on an actual date and she had been more than happy to except the invitation. There would be no going back after tonight.

Booth slipped his jacket over his buttoned vest, adjusted his cocky belt buckle and took one last look at himself in the mirror. He took a deep breath and laughed at how excited he was. Grabbing his keys and cell off his dresser he turned and headed to the door with a slight skip in his step.

:P:P:P:P:P:P

Brennan took a moment to compose herself and smooth her hair back before making her way to her door after hearing the knock. She reached for the door knob, hesitated slightly to take a deep breath and then swung the door open.

Booth and Brennan both stood in silence staring at each other with their mouths agape. Booth was the first to pull himself together.

"Wow. Bones…you look…I just…wow!" Booth had never seen a more beautiful sight than what was standing in front of him. His stunning partner was wearing a blue lace form fitting one shoulder dress that hit her about two inches above the knee. The black 4-inch strappy heels that she was wearing made her legs look deliciously long. Her hair was down with soft curls, just the way Booth liked it best and her makeup perfectly highlighted her captivating blue eyes.

His eyes locked with hers. "You are…gorgeous."

Brennan smoothed the non-existent wrinkles at her hips. "Well you said to dress up, so…"

Booth shook his head. "No, Bones, its not the dress. I mean, the dress is amazing but, you are… you're always gorgeous."

Brennan smiled sweetly and reached out and pretended to adjusted Booth's lapel. "You look very appealing as well. Is this a new suit?"

Booth smiled at her charmingly. "Sure is, Bones. And these…" Booth pulled a small bouquet of daffodils out from behind his back, "…are for you."

Brennan's eye's lit up as she took them from him. "Thank you, Booth."

Booth placed a gentle hand on her hip, leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek only about an inch from her lips and softly said, "You're welcome, Bones."

Brennan felt a wave of desire surge through her at his touch and words. The only thing that stopped her from pushing him against the front door and having her way with him was knowing how important this "first date" was to Booth. If she was being honest with herself, it meant a lot to her too. She hadn't realized how important until Booth had asked her out earlier in the day.

She had felt a giddiness that she had never felt before when the words came out of his mouth. There was no doubt what her answer would be. She couldn't believe how nervous she had been when she had seen him walk into the diner. She didn't know what to say or do. These feelings were all so new to her and now that she didn't have to hide them from her partner, she hadn't been sure how to act. She was overwhelmed by the intensity of her feelings for him, but thankfully, Booth had taken her hand and as he took control of the situation, a calm had automatically settled over her. She had never been so thankful for her partner.

Only a few months ago, Brennan never would have believed that they would get to this point in their relationship but here she was, staring at him unable to process anything but how ridiculously sexy her partner was and how intensely he was looking at her.

Trying to distract herself she asked, "So where are we going for dinner? The diner?"

Booth shook his head and chuckled. He gave her entire body an appreciative look, and he answered, "With you looking like that, Bones? No way! I was thinking more along the lines of this little jazz club I know about. We could grab some food, enjoy some music…" _Make out like teenagers in a dark corner_ …

Brennan nodded her approval. "That sounds like an excellent choice. Let me just put these in some water and I'll be ready to go" As Brennan reached the kitchen she turned and caught Booth staring directly at her ass. She softly laughed as Booth, realizing he was caught, simply sent her his best cocky smirk and then, once again, gave the rest of her body an appreciative glance.

She quickly returned and grabbed her handbag and as she went to walk past him, Booth gently reached out and took her hand, interlacing their fingers. "Now, moving on to item number two, on my list of things I want to do tonight." Booth said smugly as he gave her hand a light squeeze.

Brennan threw him a mischievous smile, "Well if this one is as enjoyable as the first item on your list, we might not actually make it to the car."

Booth let out an almost guttural groan as he closed the door behind him. "You are going to be the death of me tonight, Bones."

Brennan knowingly chuckled but as the elevator door closed behind them, she let out a small whimper of her own when Booth began drawing slow, small circles on the palm of her hand with his thumb.

Brennan found it difficult to form any rational thought as she felt her body turn towards her partner on instinct. Her free hand moved to caress her partner's forearm and was pleasantly surprised as she felt jolts of electricity from her breasts gently resting on his bicep. She watched Booth close his eyes and try to take a deep calming breath. His grip on her hand tightened.

The elevator doors opened much too soon and Brennan forced herself to pull slightly away from him as she led them both out of the elevator.

As they exited the building Booth said, "See, Bones…Proof that God does exist!"

Brennan's brow creased as it always did when she didn't understand something.

Booth motioned to his black SUV. "We made it to the car…that is **definitely** a miracle."

Bones shook her head in amusement.

:P:P:P:P:P:P

The club was dark and the only real light was coming from the lit candles on the tables. There was piano music playing softly in the background and it was filled mostly with couples sitting close together and taking advantage of the lack of lighting.

Brennan was both excited and terrified. Excited because she was finally out with Booth on an actual date and terrified for the exact same reason. Her feelings for this man were overwhelming and the only thing that was grounding her at the moment was Booth's hand that had not let go of her own since they exited his vehicle.

The waitress led the pair to a booth in the corner away from the others and they slid in next to each other.

Booth watched the candlelight dance across Brennan's face as she looked over the menu. He slid as close as he could to the beautiful woman beside him and reached his arm around her so that he could gently run his fingertips back and forth over her bare shoulder. He watched Brennan's eyes slowly close and her lips relax and part slightly on her gentle intake of breath. The FBI agent leaned forward, used his nose to expose his partner's ear behind her silky hair and quietly asked, "Mind if we share the menu?"

Brennan's eyes slowly opened and a sweet smile danced on her lips. "Not at all." She replied, tilting the menu. The scientist, having regained some semblance of control despite the continued shoulder massage, moved her hand to her partner's knee and began a massage of her own, sliding her thumb slowly back and forth along Booth's thigh. The brief hesitation of his hand and the deep exhale of his breath, was evidence enough for Brennan that her touch was having the same affect on him as his was having on her.

After a few moments of pleasurable silence, Brennan asked in a relaxed voice, "See anything that interests you?"

Directing his most potent charm smile in his partner's direction and, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, he replied, "Absolutely."

Brennan looked up when she heard the smile in his voice and realized the intent of his comment. She chuckled and shook her head. "I meant from the menu."

Booth leaned forward and gently kissed her shoulder, "Fine. We'll discuss off menu options later."

Brennan's hand moved slightly higher on Booth's thigh as she sent him a knowing smile.

The pair continued enjoying their evening together. Both loved that the evening felt like any other evening they spent together but with the added perk of bold, lingering, heated glances and the freedom of roaming hands.

As their plates were taken away, Booth relaxed back into his seat and almost dreamily stated, "God, I've missed you, Bones. I've missed being around you. I've missed…how you make me feel when I'm around you."

It took everything in Brennan not to take her partner by the lapels and drag his mouth toward her own. Her heart ached for him. She had never felt so desperate for another person. But she knew that before that could happen she needed to tell him what she had wanted to tell him upon her return from Maluku. She needed him to know the truth so that he didn't doubt how much she cared about him.

Without even thinking, she blurted out, "I'm sorry I didn't call you or write to you while we were away. I really am."

Booth looked at her sweetly and gently shook his head. "We talked about this already, Bones. Its ok."

Brennan cut him off before he could let her off the hook once again and leaning towards him and placing her hand over his, she said, "No Booth, its not. Please." She sighed and met his stare.

Booth gently nodded and stayed silent waiting for her to continue.

This was it. She had been living with regrets since that night in front of the Hoover which had been made only more acute by the events that transpired over the last year and how she handled their separation. She needed to be clear with him. She needed him to understand why she had acted the way she did.

Brennan took a deep breath, closed her eyes. "Booth, I thought about you every day I was gone. I would sit alone at night looking up into the sky and I would imagine that you were there with me. I know it doesn't make any sense but there were times when I felt like you were there…right beside me." Brennan opened her eyes and looked directly at her partner. "I missed you more than I ever imagined I could miss another person. I didn't know how to deal with these feelings." Brennan looked down at her hands. "I didn't write to you or call you because I didn't want to mess things up even more than I already had. I have a tendency of not being able to articulate clearly what I'm feeling. I thought that if I talked to you in person there would be less chance of misunderstanding…And so I waited and I counted the days until our meeting at the coffee cart when I could tell you how I felt…but then…you didn't come back alone…and I didn't say anything."

Brennan looked back to her partner who continued to sit there in stunned silence. "I have so many regrets, Booth. I regret my reaction to your relationship proposal in front of the Hoover. I regret leaving for Maluku. I regret not calling or writing you while we were away. I regret pushing you away when we got back." Brennan paused and took a deep breath. "Booth, I don't want to have any more regrets."

Seeley Booth couldn't take his eyes off this beautiful, brilliant and complicated woman sitting beside him who had just poured her heart out to him. How could he have ever thought that she didn't care? How could he have so misread her? Although he felt dazed he also couldn't help but feel giddy. Temperance Brennan had feelings for him, that much was clear. And he couldn't be happier.

As he took in his partner across from him he saw her waiting anxiously for him to respond to her revelations. He believed the only way to respond to her truths was the to reveal his own. He leaned even closer to Brennan keeping his intense stare on her the entire time. "I ended my relationship with Hannah because I couldn't stop thinking about you and I just couldn't ignore how I feel about you any longer. I was a fool for ever thinking that I could."

Brennan let out a breath she felt like she had been holding her entire life.

"Look, Bones," Booth paused to take a deep breath, "There are a lot of things I should have done differently, situations I should have handled better, but there is one thing that I know without a doubt."

"What's that?" Temperance asked.

Booth took her hands in his own and stroked her knuckles with his thumbs and gave her a small encouraging smile. "I'm still that guy, Temperance. I'm still that guy." Booth watched his partner's features soften before his eyes and felt her hand come up to cradle his cheek. They leaned their foreheads together and stared into each other's eyes.

Booth shifted his gaze down to Brennan's gorgeous full lips that were mere inches away from his own. Booth could no longer resist her as he slowly closed the gap and gently brushed his lips against the edge of her mouth. He felt a soft warm puff of air escape his partner's mouth as she turned her face the fraction of the inch it took for their lips to finally touch.

The kiss started gently with Booth's hands moving up to cradle her face but he knew he was on the verge of losing all control and when he felt her tongue easily slip over his top lip, all of his remaining control slipped away quickly.

Booth captured Brennan's bottom lip between his teeth, and as she opened her mouth on a small gasp he used the opportunity to playfully run the tip of his tongue along her own. Brennan whimpered and ran her hands up and down his chest only to finally find a place for them in his hair at the back of his head.

As their tongues danced together, Booth's hand found Brennan's knee and slowly moved his hand up the outside of her thigh letting his fingertips warm the skin just under the hem of her dress. Booth growled softly as Brennan shifted in her seat allowing his hand to move even higher up her thigh. Booth intensified the kiss and swallowed Brennan's deep moan.

The need for oxygen forced them to pull apart. They sat in silence, foreheads touching, trying to catch their breaths, both unable to break eye contact or remove their hands from each other.

Booth smiled at her, "No more regrets, Bones."

Brennan returned his smile shyly and nodded. "No regrets."

Booth took a deep breath. "Do you want to dance, Bones?"

Brennan closed her eyes, "No." she said quietly. Then, leaning in so that her lips gently brushed her partner's ear she whispered, "I want to take you home."

A strangled sounding grunt escaped Booth's throat as his mouth found the skin where her neck met her shoulder for a playful bite and then a soothing kiss. Then, turning away from his partner, he quickly got up out of their booth and went in search of their waitress, leaving Brennan dazed and wanting in her seat.


	16. Chapter 16 - The Beginning in the End

*I don't own Bones or any of its characters...I just love them :)*

This is the last chapter in this story!

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this! I loved writing it and hope you all enjoyed the ride as well. This is my first attempt at fanfiction and my first attempt at writing an M rated chapter…so please, be kind

Chapter 16: The Beginning in the End…

The fifteen minute car ride to Brennan's apartment had been the best kind of torture…for both of them. The silence in the car was full of an electricity that couldn't be ignored. The drive had started innocently enough with Brennan's hand resting on Booth's knee, but after a couple of minutes had passed, her hand began to very slowly move its way higher and higher until it stopped mere inches from 'the boys'.

She then started making tiny circles with her fingertips on his upper inner thigh. Booth's grip on the steering wheel tightened immediately. He thought he had felt out of control when Brennan had hotly whispered in his ear after their too brief make out session at the restaurant but now, God…the feel of her hand so intimately stroking his leg, her intoxicating smell invading the vehicle and the simple knowledge of what they were racing to her apartment to do…no reciting of saints would help calm him down now…And god help him, he had never felt more alive…Alive, right. He had to focus on driving so that they would arrive to Bones' apartment alive. He took a deep breath.

"Bones?" he said through gritted teeth.

"Hm?" Brennan said almost dreamily as she turned her head to look at him.

"You're kinda killing me, here."

Brennan, having only now noticed Booth's white knuckle driving and the intensity of his stare, allowed a low chuckle to escape her lips. "Sorry, Booth." She replied a little less than sincerely as her hand moved even further north making 'incidental' contact with Booth's already hard member.

"Jesus…" Booth almost spit out on an animalistic growl as the car slightly swerved before Booth was able to regain control.

"I don't think Jesus counts as a saint, Booth." Brennan smugly said, refusing to move her fingers.

Booth quickly removed one of his hands from the wheel and used it to gently move hers down to where it once had been. He shot a quick glance at his partner, and, in that moment, he decided that he had never seen anything hotter than his gorgeous anthropologist sitting there looking so smug and proud of herself for making him squirm.

Booth chuckled deeply as the reality of the situation hit him full force. He never would have believed 6 months ago that he'd be sitting in his SUV trying to fight off his partner's wandering hands to ensure a safe arrival to her apartment so they could tear each other's clothes off in private.

He needed to quickly distract her before her hand started another expedition for unchartered territories and before the car ended up in the ditch. Plus, it certainly wouldn't hurt to prove to her that she wasn't the only one able to make someone squirm…and he'd show that he didn't even need his hands to do it.

Lowering his voice to a gruff whisper, he said, "Do you know how many times I've thought about making you cum over the years, Bones?"

Brennan's head snapped in Booth's direction and couldn't stop the gasp of surprise that escaped her mouth.

Booth kept his eye on the road as he continued his distraction tactic despite the heat he could feel coming from her stare. "Do you know how many times, as I drove you home after one of our closed case celebrations, that I dreamed about reaching my hand over to your knee and pulling it gently in my direction. Then, letting my hand skim slowly back an forth on your inner thigh…every pass getting just all little bit higher until I reached the edge of your panties."

Booth could hear Brennan begin to almost pant and he began to worry that his plan was backfiring as he felt his member grown even more painfully hard from just the sounds she was making and the images his words were invoking.

"I would then let my fingers trace the silk of your panties so lightly that you would almost question if I was touching you at all. You would want more pressure but every time you would try to move into my touch I would pull my hand completely away until you had relaxed back into your seat. Then I would start to gently play with you again. Finally when you felt like you couldn't take it anymore, I would give you the pressure that you so badly wanted and needed. I would keep stroking you until I could feel your wetness through your panties."

"…Booth.." Brennan moaned almost painfully. What was this man doing to her? He hadn't even touched her yet and she was already a quivering mess. She had never heard Booth's voice huskier or sexier than it was at this moment and she had certainly never heard him say things like this to her before. She, nor her body could deny how much she loved it.

"Then, I would…" Booth paused while he brought her hand on his lap up to his mouth and took her first two fingers into his mouth to gently suck them. "wet your fingers for you with my mouth…"

Brennan couldn't breath as she waited for him to finish.

"…and then, I'd tell you to touch yourself."

Brennan whimpered and started to pant uncontrollably. How had she ever thought this man was a prude? She was a breath away from exploding just from his words.

Thankfully, it was at that moment that Booth finally pulled into his spot out front of Brennan's building. He through the car in park and cut the engine and turned in his seat towards his partner. The sight he took in almost made him cum in his pants.

There was his partner, eyes wild with need, bottom lip trapped by her teeth, hips gently rocking, dress dangerously high and her hand barely hidden behind a small piece of black silk. With every rock of her hips she was making the sexiest sounds Booth had ever heard.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Bones." Booth couldn't take it. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling it away from her most sensitive area.

Brennan cried in protest. "No. Please, Booth."

"No way, Temperance. I've waited 6 years for this. The first time you cum for me is not going to be on **your** fingers no matter how hot it might be. I want to touch you."

Brennan took a deep steadying breath before she nodded her agreement and jumped from the car and almost ran to her building with Booth following closely behind her.

Twenty minutes after leaving the restaurant, they found themselves stumbling through her apartment door and falling unceremoniously on her couch.

Brennan's mind was fuzzy with arousal but she knew she had to tell Booth one more thing before this went any further so she ripped her lips away from her partner's and airily said, "Wait, Booth. I need to tell you something."

Booth found her neck and started sucking lightly on the tender skin he found there. "Can't you tell me later, Bones? I'm kinda busy here." His hand slipped down and squeezed her ass.

Brennan allowed herself to indulge in the exquisiteness of Booth's touch for a few moments but then gently protested again, "No, Booth. I'm sorry. I need to share a conclusion with you."

Booth, stilled and took a deep breath trying to regain some semblance of control. In a daze, he sat up, sighed and confusedly asked, "What conclusion?"

She straightened herself as well and let her hands trail down his neck and rest on his chest as she looked directly in his eyes. She took a deep breath. "I have concluded that even though it is completely and utterly irrational, I want you to know that I am in love with you and I can't nor do I have any desire to deny it any longer."

All the air in Booth's lungs whooshed out at her words. For 6 years all he had ever wanted was for this beautiful, stubborn, non believer in love to tell him that she couldn't help herself from loving him. Over the years he began to think it might never happen and now it had tumbled out of her mouth as easily as her normal order at the diner.

Joy and giddiness overwhelmed him as his heart felt like it was about to pound out of his chest. The smile that graced his face went all the way up to his eyes. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers. He took a steadying breath, pulled back and took her hands in his own. "God, you are amazing."

As he looked into his partner's eyes and saw a vulnerability there, he realized that this strong, confident woman that was always sure about everything, wasn't sure about his feelings towards her. As this realization hit him, he couldn't stop the shocked burst of laughter that escaped his mouth.

Misreading the intent of the meaning behind the laugh, Brennan pulled away from Booth with embarrassment and shame written all over her face.

In a moment of panic, Booth reached for her hand and pulled her back down to the couch. "Temperance, no, please, wait." She sat back down but refused to look at him and he saw the first of her tears begin to roll down her cheek. He turned more fully to her and took her face in both of his hands and forced her to look at him. He wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "Bones, look at me, please."

She turned her head, and the sadness he saw in her eyes almost killed him.

Still cradling her face in his hands, he began just above a whisper. "Temperance, I meant what I said earlier tonight. I'm that guy, Bones. I'm **still** that guy. I've tried pretending that I wasn't, I tried to lie to myself…but I can't do it anymore. Not to myself and definitely not to you. I've tried moving on but my heart won't let me. I don't want it to. Temperance Brennan, I am **so** in love with you. God Bones, I love you so much."

Brennan stared at him almost in shock that such an amazingly strong, compassionate and funny man actually loved her. "Yeah?" she asked quietly.

Booth's grin grew wider as he pulled her face to his and only a breath away from her lips, replied huskily, "Yeah."

She closed the distance between them and they both felt the spark the minute their lips brushed. The kiss was soft and innocent and full of promise. Opening her eyes, Brennan looked directly into Booth's.

"Make love to me, Seeley" she breathed.

They stared at each other for a brief moment and then any self control that they had, snapped. Neither knew which one had lunged at the other first. Brennan's lips parted inviting Booth in and soon their tongues were battling for domination.

Booth's hand found its way under Brennan's dress and the feel of his rough hands on her silky thighs was driving her crazy. She needed to feel his skin and was getting frustrated because the position she was in on the couch was making that more difficult than it needed to be. Suddenly, Booth let out a low moan when Brennan manoeuvred herself to straddle his lap. Brennan immediately felt Booth's hardness underneath her and she couldn't help but grind her core against him in response. Booth growled and Brennan gasped. His hands flew to the zipper on her dress and before she even knew what had happened he was pulling it over her hips and then her head.

Booth took a moment to take in the vision of Temperance Brennan, straddling him, wearing nothing but a black silky lace bra that barely contained her beautiful breasts and a matching pair of panties that he could see were already wet with desire.

"Do you even know how beautiful you are, Bones?" He gently asked her as his hands traced a path from her thighs, up her sides and then down her arms where he laced her fingers with his own.

Logically and rationally, Brennan knew she was an attractive woman, but never in her entire life had she ever felt as beautiful as she did in this moment. Seeley Booth was staring at her with complete and utter adoration. She smiled at him tenderly and stroked his cheek gently.

"You are extraordinary, Temperance. Absolutely extraordinary." His hands went up to her face and pulled her down to his lips for a kiss so full of tenderness and love that Brennan could feel her eyes fill with water.

Their lips met again and again and soon the tenderness was gone and replaced with the heat from earlier.

Brennan seized the opportunity to undo his already loosened tie and to start unbuttoning his vest and dress shirt.

Booth's hands were everywhere. He had spent 6 years training himself not to touch her and now that he could, now that she actually wanted him to, he couldn't get enough.

Brennan's breathy "Booth…" only spurned him on and his hands applied more pressure as they went up her ribs and settled at the side of her perfect breasts.

He had never needed someone as badly as he needed Temperance Brennan. His groin was painfully hard and only got harder as he felt her slowly rocking back and forth in his lap. He couldn't help the animalistic growl that escaped his throat when she whimpered into his ear. Brennan prided herself on her self-control and so to hear these involuntary sounds coming from her and knowing that he was the cause of them, made them the sexiest sounds he had ever heard.

He let his thumbs sweep over the silky lace clad orbs grazing the edge of her covered nipple. His mouth latched on to her collarbone and then kissed his way down to the valley between her breasts and wet kissed every area of those partially covered perfect breasts he could get to. Her breath hitched and her hands moved up his neck and ran through his hair. His hands wandered to the straps of her bra and traced them down to the clasp at her back but just as he was about to undo it and expose the breasts he had only been allowed to dream about for the last 6 years, he heard Brennan say his name with a serious and frustrated tone and felt her gently push on his chest.

He pulled himself out of his daze and looked into her half lidded eyes that were on fire with passion and a touch of frustration. "What's wrong?" he asked not understanding why she had stopped them. He looked at her expectantly as his hands moved down to cup her silk-covered ass.

Embarrassed by her inability to control her need for him she rushed through her answer. "I can't get your shirt off and I need to feel you." She pouted like a small child as she struggled to undo the last few buttons with one hand and push his dress shirt off his shoulders with the other. He realized that his grip on her made both tasks virtually impossible.

He looked back up again with a playful grin on his face, "You stopped me because you can't get my shirt off? Come on Bones, I was kind of in the middle of something here." He said leaning in and gently and sensually biting the top of her left breast.

Her eyes became an even darker shade of blue and her lips parted slightly as a rush of heat shot down between her legs. She regained some semblance of control when he leaned back to look at her again but this time his grin was more cocky than playful.

She let out an exacerbated huff. There was no way she was going to let him pretend like he wasn't just as out of control as she was. She smirked at him, leaned in allowing her partially covered breasts to gently rub against his partially clad chest. Her warm breath caressed his ear as she whispered breathily, "Seeley…please." In the same breath, she gently bit Booth's earlobe.

"Jesus, Bones." Booth's eyes had slammed shut at the use of his given name and he was forced to concentrate on not cumming as she followed it up with the polite plea.

The cocky grin that she had been prepared to shoot his way vanished when she saw how intensely he was looking at her once he opened his eyes again and instead her breath hitched as his hands squeezed her ass before slipping from warmth and in one motion ripped the last remaining buttons off of his shirt while pulling it over his shoulders.

She focused her attention on the newly exposed skin in front of her and took her pointer finger and traced it across his perfect shoulder and then down his collar bone, down and around his right pectoral muscle and zigzagged back and forth over his ribs.

All the while Booth was focused on her face. She had the look that she always had when she was examining remains closely. He had always loved the intensity in her eyes when she was at a crime scene doing her thing, and now, to have all of that intensity directed at him, was overwhelming him with desire and need.

The sound of her fingernails tapping his belt buckle brought him back to reality and sent a wave of heat straight to his groin. His eyes slammed shut and his head fell back onto the couch as she gently rubbed her hand against his hardness.

"You are quite the specimen Booth." She huskily stated.

Booth lifted his head from the couch and smiled at her. Over the years he had gotten used to her kind of compliments. She didn't hand them out often so you always knew that when you received one, it was genuine. He brought one hand to her face and the other he let run through her hair. He shook his head almost in disbelief. "You…are gorgeous."

Brennan shot him that half smile that drove him crazy and with an animalistic growl he held her to him tightly as he stood up and headed towards her bedroom. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist and with a concerned voice she said, "Booth, you shouldn't carry me. Its not good for your back."

Booth laughed, grabbed and squeezed her ass cheeks and replied sexily, "I think I'll take my chances, there Bones."

Brennan shook her head and smirked, "I have never understood why I find your alpha male tendencies so appealing."

Booth sent her his charm smile "It probably has something to do with some anthropological need of yours."

Booth laughed as he saw Brennan seriously considering his statement. She slid down Booth's body as they reached the side of her bed. She suddenly nodded, "That is quite possible. Alpha females often search out alpha males when they wish to…" Booth silenced her with a kiss making her forget what she was saying. Brennan wrapped her arms around his neck and only broke the kiss when the need for air forced her to. She leaned her forehead against his.

"Am I to assume that kissing me will be your tactic of choice in the future when you want to silence me?"

Booth feigned outrage, "What, Bones?! You've got it all wrong! I just find 'squint speak' sexy." He smiled widely and waggled his eyebrows at her. "I just can't help myself." He moved in even closer and started nuzzling her neck. His hands traced along the waist of her panties. "Talk squinty to me Bones." He smiled into her neck and she laughed.

She pulled him forward by the belt buckle and started to undo it. "Did you know that many societies would consider your cocky belt buckle a modern day codpiece?"

"Oh yeah, Dr. Brennan…more!" He said playfully.

"In many communities, it was the most powerful and virile men that had the most elaborate…" her breath hitched as Booth began gently massaging her ass cheeks. "…codpiece." She finished breathily as she pushed his dress pants off. She allowed her hands to trace down his spine and then slip under his boxer briefs to feel the muscles of his ass twitch under her touch.

She pulled him flush against her and they both moaned as they felt his hardness rub against her stomach. His hands left her ass and traveled up to the clasp of her bra which he deftly undid. Brennan didn't have a chance to brace herself as Booth gently pushed on her hips and she landed on the bed. She pushed herself up to a sitting position as he moved to stand between her open legs.

He reached down and pulled at the straps of her bra until they fell down her arms and the cups fell away from her full breasts. Booth grabbed the black material and completely removed it discarding it on the floor while she reached forward and pulled his underwear down.

Before Booth knew what she was doing she had grabbed his hips, pulled him forward and was kissing the tip of his manhood with an open mouth.

"Oh God…Bones." He moaned in pleasure. His eyes fell shut in ecstasy as she took him fully in her mouth and he laced his fingers in her hair and gently massaged her scalp. He knew there was no way he'd last if she kept up this rate and he didn't want their first time to end like this. It took everything in him to pull away from her and even more to stop from cumming when she made a whining noise as she was forced to release him.

"Booth…" she pouted, "I want to taste you." She said it in her mater-of-fact tone and Booth couldn't help but push her down fully on the bed with his own body and crash his lips to hers. The taste of himself on her lips was almost too much for him and he reached down, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her more into the centre of the bed.

In between wet hot kisses he groaned, "I know, baby…but that might actually kill me…and…this time…I need to cum inside of you."

She smiled against his lips as the implication of his words hit her. 'This time' meant there would be a next time…and that made her inexplicably giddy…and Dr. Temperance Brennan never got giddy. Her thought pattern was lost and she began to pant as he abandoned her mouth and took her right nipple in his mouth while he softly pinched and pulled at the other one with his fingers.

"Blow jobs…oh god, Booth!...Blow jobs don't tend to cause the death of a man….oooohhh…unless…you are referring to the French word for orgasm which is…oh my god…translated as 'little death'.

Having swapped treatments on her breasts he released her left nipple with a light wet popping sound and then he was over her again and invading her mouth with his tongue.

"Bones…" He kissed down her neck, along her collarbone, down between her breasts and placed a featherlike kiss on each for her pebbled rose peaks. He continued his decent with his mouth and when he got to her belly button he let his tongue dip in sensually. She moaned deeply and arched her back bringing her in even more direct contact with his mouth.

Booth smiled to himself…He was making love with Dr. Temperance Brennan, to his Bones…and it was exactly how he had always imagined it to be but better. They were teasing each other, laughing with each other, playing with each other. She was so responsive to him it made him crazy with lust and pride. Being with Brennan was everything he had ever dreamed it might be and more.

He gently traced the edge of her black silky panties with his fingertips and, smiling wickedly up at her, said, "I want you so insanely hot for me…" His fingers lazily drew circles on her covered mound. Brennan whimpered softly. "…that you…" His fingers lightly slid back and forth along her covered lips. Booth continued huskily, "…completely lose control."

Now Brennan was panting and had raised her hands above her head and her hips started a rhythm of there own. He could feel the wetness through her panties and could smell her desire for him. He took in the image before him. The woman of his dreams lying on the bed, head thrown back unable to control her breathing, chest heaving, breasts gently bouncing, back arched, thighs open wide to him, completely ready to take him in. It was the sexist thing he had ever seen and it took everything in him not to cum from just the sight of it.

He slowly peeled the panties from her mound and worked them off her legs, flinging them somewhere across the room. He manoeuvred himself so that his head was between her legs and he kissed and gently bit his way up her inner thighs.

Brennan had never been this turned on in her life. She didn't understand how this man had this power over her. She had spent the last 6 years resisting it. She had been so afraid to lose control especially when it came to Booth and now here she was falling apart with just a simple touch. Her entire body was vibrating and as soon as she felt him blowing gently on her mound she knew there was nothing she could do to stop herself from shattering into millions of pieces with one of the strongest orgasms she had ever experienced.

When he heard her yell "BOOTH!" and then felt her entire body tense and shake he looked up in disbelief.

"Bones, did you just…"

She looked down at him with eyes ablaze. "I couldn't help it." She said huskily.

His eyes darkened instantly and he moved directly to her apex as the need to taste her took over. He let his tongue trace her lips and then pushed it between them until he found her sensitive bud. He circled it and gently sucked on it until she could feel the tightness in her belly building again. He found her entrance and began thrusting his tongue in and out. She whimpered when she felt him move his mouth away but was suddenly moaning in pleasure when two of his fingers filled her opening and his tongue moved back to her clit.

She ran her hands through his hair. "Oh god Booth! What…" she panted. "...what are you doing to me?!" Before he could answer she was coming apart again.

Booth was harder than he had ever been in his entire life and as he slid up her body he had the appearance of a predator stalking his prey. She reached out and grabbed his face and pulled it to her own and revelled in her own taste on his lips. She wrapped her legs around his waist and, catching him off guard, flipped him so that she was now on top.

She nuzzled his neck and sultrily whispered in his ear. "I have never wanted or needed anyone the way I want and need you Booth."

He growled in response. "Baby, I need to be inside of you…now." He pleaded.

She kissed him hard and then rose up and lowered herself unto him. He clenched his jaw at just how incredible being inside of her tight, wet, pussy actually felt. His eyes opened to see her head thrown back and her hands working her breasts as she began to set a rhythm with her hips. He reached up and pushed her hands aside and started to replicate what she had been doing and she moaned loudly. "Booth, yes!"

He quickly flipped them so that his sweaty body was now on top of hers and she could see the strain on his face as he tried to hold out for a little bit longer. "Bones, baby…" he panted in her ear. "…I can't…"

She wrapped her legs around his waist and lightly ran her fingernails up his back. "Booth, just let go." She said as clearly as she could through her panting.

At that, Booth lost total rhythm and technique as he started to piston in and out of her forcefully. The room was filled with strangled voices calling out the other's name. Their moans of pleasure joined together as they both finally fell over the edge together.

He collapsed on top of her, feeling like every muscle was refusing to work. He tried to roll off of her so he wouldn't crush her but she held him there as they caught their breath and their bodies cooled down. Finally her grip loosened and he rolled over onto his back bringing her with him. She laid her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his sweat-covered chest.

They both looked at each other in awe and burst out laughing. Booth kissed her forehead as he rolled towards her.

"That," Brennan started, "was extremely satisfying." She said smiling lazily at him.

Booth stroked her back gently. "Would you say I earned the right to wear my elaborate codpiece?" He smirked.

Brennan laughed. "I'd say, we need to buy you an even more elaborate one."

They both laughed as Booth rolled onto his side and pulled her flush against him. He kissed her lips lazily. He pulled away and they simply smiled at each other as Booth gently slid his thumb back and forth across her hipbone.

With her eyes closed, she sighed contentedly, and gently pushed Booth so that he was lying on his back and she laid her head on his shoulder, moved her leg over one of his and ran her hand gently over his chest.

Booth kept his arm wrapped around her waist and couldn't help but smile. _Who would have known Bones is a cuddler?_

"Love you." Brennan mumbled drowsily into his chest almost incoherently as she drifted off to sleep.

Booth looked down at her in amazement, brushed her hair out of her face, placed a kiss on the top of her head and shook his head in bewilderment. "Oh Temperance, I am so in love with you."

He lay awake for several hours worried that he might wake up to find that it had all been a dream and he knew he would never live through that disappointment. After all of these years, these obstacles that they had faced together, all of the denying of feelings, he couldn't help but being amazed at how right and how simple being with her felt now. There was no awkwardness. Finally the last few months caught up to him and sleep overtook him.


End file.
